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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14380 

(?16)  S72-4SQ3 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institutb  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  de  microraproductions  historiquas 


Tschnical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notat  tachniquaa  at  bibliographiquat 


Tha  Inst^tuta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  this 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


0Colourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


pn    Covars  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagia 


□    Covars  rastorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  rastaurte  at/ou  pailiculte 

□    Covar  titia  miasing/ 
La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

□    Colourad  maps/ 
Cartas  giographiquas  mn  coulaur 

□    Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

□   Colourad  plataa  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planchos  at/ou  illustrations  9n  coulaur 

□    Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Rail*  avac  d'autras  documants 


D 


n 


Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  re  liura  sarr^a  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distorsion  la  long  da  la  marge  intirlaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possibia.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagaa  blanchas  ajoutiaa 
lors  d'una  rastauration  apparaiaaant  dans  la  taxta, 
maia.  lorsqua  cala  Atait  possibia.  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  4tA  filmtes. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  axemplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  Ati  possibia  da  &a  procurer.  Las  details 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  sont  paut-Atra  uniquas  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvant  modifier 
una  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithoda  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


7 
ti 


I — I   Coloured  pages/ 


□ 


Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damaged/ 
Pagas  endommagdas 


r~~1    Pagas  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


Pagas  restaurias  et/ou  peiliculies 

Pagaa  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pagaa  dicolorias.  tachatiea  ou  piquies 

Pagaa  detached/ 
Pagas  ditach^s 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualit*  inigale  de  {'impression 

Includes  supplamentary  matarii 
Comprend  du  material  supplAmentaire 


r~|  Pagaa  detached/ 

pT*!  Showthrough/ 

r~n  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

n~1  Includes  supplamentary  material/ 


1 

P 

0 

f 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seuia  Mition  disponibia 

Pagas  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pagas  totalement  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillat  d'arrata.  une  peture, 
etc.,  ont  it6  filmtes  A  nouveau  da  faqon  i 
obtanir  la  maillaure  image  possible. 


0 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplAmantaires: 


Wrinkled  pages  may  film  slightly  out  of  focus. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  chackad  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  da  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


J 


12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmad  h«r«  has  bacn  rvproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

New  Brunswick  MuMum 
Saint  John 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
possibia  eonaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacificationa. 


Original  capias  In  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baglnning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  iliuatratad  impraa- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baglnning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  iliuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  impraaaton. 


L'axamptaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
gAnirositA  da: 

New  Brunswick  MuMum 
Saint  John 

Laa  imagas  .tuivantaa  ont  At*  raproduitas  avac  la 
plua  grand  soin,  eompta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  i'axamplaira  filmi,  at  an 
conformity  avac  laa  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Laa  axamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  eouvartura  •n 
papiar  aat  ImprimAa  sont  filmis  tx  comman^^ant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  loit  par  la 
darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'impraaaion  ou  d'illustration,  salt  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  caa.  Tous  laa  autras  axamplairaa 
originaux  sont  film  As  an  commanpant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
dimpraaalon  ou  d'illustration  at  en  tarminant  par 
la  darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  --^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  y  (maaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appliaa. 

Mapa.  plataa.  charts,  ate  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratioa.  Thoaa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  includad  in  ona  axpoaura  ara  filmad 
baglnning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  comar,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framaa  aa 
raquirad.  Tha  foilo%«ring  diagrama  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Un  daa  symbolaa  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
damlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  salon  la 
caa:  la  symbola  -^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
syAibola  ▼  signifia  "FIN". 

Laa  cartaa.  planchas,  tablaaux,  ate,  pauvant  Atra 
filmAa  A  das  taux  da  rAduction  diff  Arants. 
Lorsqua  la  documant  ast  trap  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clichA.  il  sat  filmA  A  partir 
da  I'angla  supAriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  A  droita. 
at  da  haut  an  baa,  mn  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagas  nAcassaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
iilustrant  la  mAthoda. 


32X 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

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ALBERT  COAL  MINES. 

AND  THE 

SypROUNDiiNO  Strata* 

^^A»s  is  tod    tty^  V 

E.  ,l''0'4.'  ihUH  Mm\^ 

Contutmi2ff  also  tfu-i  Gnu!  OhsBi'vatiurtS  of 
J)r.  Jaiiu!8   G.  PercLval. 


(.('(•;  ■'■'.S  /■'''<''    fli    ^vnstuufjtuii   K'it.^  i  Joy\<    tuiUtuuj        .iO 


.1  foil-. 


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REPORT 


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ON    THE 


ALBERT  COAL  MINE, 


CONTAINING 


The  Map  and  Plates  referred  to  in  Dr.  Jackson's  Report 
are  in  the  hands  of  the  engravers.  The  latter  requiring  the  personal 
attention  of  Mr.  Soneel,  -will  not  he  completed  hefore  January. 


ROCKS,  INCLUDING  AND  ACCOMPANYING  THE  COAL  ; 


WITH  LITHOGRAPHIC  DRAWINGS  OF  THE  FOSSIL  FISHES  AND  PLANTS  FOUND 
IN    THE    MINE,    TOGETHER    WITH    DESCRIPTIONS   OF   THE    SPE- 
CIMENS,   CHEMICAL    RESEARCHES   ON    THE   COAL,  AND 
TABLES  OP   COMPARISON  WITH    DIFFERENT 
VARIETIES   OF    A8PHALTUM. 


By  CHARLES  T.  JACKSON,  M.  D.,  F.  G.  S.  F., 

MtOIT   OF   TH«    NATIONAL    ORDER   OF   TUB    LKOION    OF    HONOR,   LATE    GEOLOGIST   TO   THK   STATES 

"   MAINE,  NKW  HAMPSHIUK,   RHODE   ISLAND,   AND  OK   TUB   MINKRAL   LANU8  OP  THK  CNITKD 

BTAT«8    IN     MICHIGAN,     ASSAYER    TO     THE     STATE     OP     MASSACHUSETTS,  VICE 

PRESIDENT   or     THE     BOSTON    SOOIBTY    OF    NATURAL     HISTORY,  &0. 


\ 


J»» 


'\Jti 


i     i  i 


REPORT 


v^) 


ON    THE 


ALBERT  COAL  MINE, 


CONTAINING 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  SITUATION  AND 


GEOLOGICAL  RELATIONS 


OF   THE 


ROCKS,  INCLUDING  AND  ACCOMPANYING  THE  COAL  ; 


WITH  LITHOGRAPHIC  DRAWINGS  OF  THE  FOSSIL  FISHES  AND  PLANTS  FOUND 
IN   THE    MINE,    TOGETHER    WITH    DESCRIPTIONS   OF    THE   SPE- 
CIMENS,   CHEMICAL    RESEARCHES   ON    THE  COAL,  AND 
TABLES  OP   COMPARISON  WITH    DIFFERENT 
VARIETIES    OF    A8PHALTUM. 


By  CHARLES  T.  JACKSON,  M.  D.,  F.  G.  S.  F., 

MIG^T   OF  THB   NATIONAL    ORDER   OF   THB    LEOION    OK    HONOB,   LATE    OKOLOOIST   TO   THK   8T1TB8 

"   MAINE,  NEW   HAMPSHinR,   RHODE   ISLAND,   AND  OF   THE    MINKRAL   LANDS  OF  THE  UNITED 

STATES     IN     MICHIGAN,    ASSAYEB    TO    THE     STATE     OF     MASSACHUSETTS,  VICE 

PBIBIDBNT   OF     THE     BOSTON    80CIBVY    OF    NATURAL     HISTORY,  &0. 


C( 

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REPORT. 


Boston,  Sept.  24th,  1851. 

Edward  Allison,  Esq., 

Dear  Sir ;— I  have  the  honor  to  present  you  with  my  Reiiort  on  the 
coal  and  coal  formation  of  HiUsboro',  in  the  County  of  Albert,  and  Prov- 
ince of  New  Brunswick,  containing  the  results  of  a  series  of  chemical  re- 
searches into  the  nature  and  properties  of  the  coal,  and  a  sketch  ot  the 
geology  of  the  district.  , 

Owin<^  to  the  numerous  and  complicated  examinations  I  have  been 
obliged  to  make,  to  render  as  perfect  as  possible  our  know  edge  of  the 
many  and  curious  fossils,  both  of  animals  and  vegetables,  which  character- 
ize your  coal,  and  the  time  required  for  the  execution  of  the  lithographic 
drawin<^s,  also  that  required  for  a  series  of  chemical  experiments  neces- 
sary to^'fuUy  prove  the  characters  of  the  coal  in  comparison  witli  a  great 
number  of  other  substances,  I  have  been  obliged  to  delay  the  preparation 
of  this  communication  until  now,  and  I  trust  that  you  wil  find  that  my 
labors  have  been  successful  in  fully  elucidating  a  subject  that  has  embarrass- 
ed men  hi<rhly  distinguished  in  the  walks  of  science,  but  whose  opportuni- 
ties seem  not  to  have  afforded  them  the  means  of  arriving  at  correct  con- 
clusions with  respect  either  to  the  geological  age,  position,  or  relations  ot  this 
coal-bed,  and  who  have,  under  erroneous  impressions,  attributed  t^  the  coal 
properties  which  it  does  not  possess,  but  which  belong  to  coal-tar  fitch, 

*^I  SirbeTble  to  prove  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  scientific  men,  that  the 
Albert  coal  is  a  true  bed,  included  in  bituminous  shales  of  the  true  coal 
formation,  as  appears  from   the   stratigraphic  relations  of  the  accompa- 
nyincr  rocks,  and  from  the  nature  of    the  numerous  fossils,  fishes  and 
Dlanfs,  characteristic  of  the  coal  formations  of  other  countries  and  of  this, 
and  I  shall  demonstrate  that  the  geological  age  of  the  coal  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  including  shales,  and  that  they  are  coeval  with  the  alerna  mg 
gray  sandstones  of  the  same  series,  and  that  the  rocks  of  the  whole  Albert 
coal-field  arc  well-known  members  of  the  coal  formation,  as  admitted  else- 
where  by  learned  and  experienced  geologists.  I  shall  next  show  conclusively 
that  the  substance  in  question  is  really  coal  of  an  unusually  bitummons 
richness,  that  it  cannot  be  confounded  with  asphaltum,  and  will  not  serve 
for  the  uses  to  which  that  substance  is  applied  ;  so  that  neither  in  a  scien- 
tific or  practical  point  of  view  is  it  any  variety  of  asphaltum      it  is  true 
that,  when  first  presented  with  a  piece  of  this  substance  with  the  intima- 
tionthat  it  came  from  some  place  near  St.   John,  which  I  knew  was  not 
situated  in  the  coal  formation,  and  under  the  impression  that  it  was  tounrt 


an  a  vertical  fissure,  in  rocks  of  a  more  ancient  date,  I  supposed  it  was 
some  kind  of  alterecl  bitumen,  to  which  the  term  asphaltic  coal  might  be 
applicable  ;  but  on  examining  the  locality  myself,  I  was  immediately  un- 
deceivecl,  A»d  learned  that  it  was  really  a  bed  of  bituminous  coal,  in  the 
regular  coal  formation.  I  also  learned,  by  my  own  examination,  that  no 
such  substance  as  soft  asphaltum  or  maltha  is  found  in  the  Albert  coal, 
or  anywhere  near  it,  or  in  any  rocks  in  the  vicinity,  and  that  the  speci- 
men sent  by  Dr.  Abraham  Gesner,*  as  I  believe  to  mislead  me,  came 
from  the  soil  of  another  county,  and  was  the  scum  of  an  old  petroleum 
spring,  which  I  have  since  also  visited  and  examined. 

The  first  specimens  of  the  Albert  coal  that  came  into  my  possession  were 
analyzed  by  me  on  the  16th  March,  1850.  The  specimen  had  a  specific 
gravity  of  1.107,  water  being  1. 

The  analyses  were  such  as  are  requu-ed  for  commercial  purposes,  and 
gave  the  following  results : — 

1st  Analysis.  2d  Analysis. 

Bituminous  matter  con-  ^ 

vertible  into  gas,  and  >  58.8  58.5 

removed  by  heat,  ) 

Coke,  41.2  41.5 


100.- 


100.- 


The  coke,  on  incineration,  yielded  0.47  per  cent,  of  red  brown  ashes, 
consisting  of  peroxyd  of  iron,  silica  and  a  little  oxyd  of  manganese. 

A  quantity  of  the  coal  in  powder  was  digested  in  oil  of  turpentine,  and 
a  small  portion  of  bituminous  matter  was  dissolved  by  it,  but  so  little  as 
to  give  no  encouragement  to  the  project  of  employing  it  for  a  varnish,  and 
therefore  the  weight  of  it  was  not  determined,  since  my  employers  were 
satisfied  that  it  would  be  of  no  account  in  any  commercial  point  of  view. 
Subsequently,  as  will  appear  further  on,  I  did  accurately  ascertain  the  pro- 
portions of  bituminous  matter  that  can  be  extracted  from  this  eoal  by  all 
the  usual  and  proper  menstrua,  and  with  all  the  appliances  to  obtain  every 
trace  of  soluble  matter  contained  in  it.  Some  time  after  my  analysis  had 
been  reported,  in  the  spring  of  1850,  a  cargo  of  the  coal  was  brought  to 
Boston,  and  samples  of  it  were  analyzed  by  my  colleague,  Dr.  Augustus 
A.  Hayes,  of  this  city,  who  designated  it  as  coal,  and  recommended  it,  as 
I  had  done,  for  the  production  of  gas  for  illumination.  (See  his  Ana- 
lysis.) Early  in  April,  1851, 1  received  a  number  of  samples  of  this 
coal  from  Mr.  George  E.  Cook,  of  New- York,  with  a  request  that  I  would 
analyze  them,  which  I  did,  with  the  following  results.  The  coal  had  a 
specific  gravity  of  1.09.    It  yielded,  on  two  analyses,  as  follows  : — 


Bituminous  matter  con- 
vertible into  gas,  and 
removed  by  heat, 

Coke, 


1st  Analysis. 

61.67 
38.33 


2d  Analysis. 

62. 
38. 


100.- 


100. 


•  See  letter  of  Dr.  Oesner  to  Dr.  C.  T.  J.,  p.  29. 


I  was  informed  that  some  persons  had  raised  a  doubt  as  to  the  occur- 
rence of  this  coal  in  the  usual  coal  formation,  and  I  therefore  wrote  a 
memorandum  for  the  chief  miner  to  send  me  specimens  of  the  rocks,  and 
to  search  particularly  for  fossil  plants,  and  in  due  time  I  received,  through 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Cook,  some  specimens  of  dark  brown  shale,  in  which  I 
discovered  a  great  abundance  of  scales  of  fishes,  of  the  genus  Palaeoniscus, 
which  I  knew  belonged  to  the  coal  formation,  and  were  never  found  in 
any  rocks  below  the  coal  gi-oup.     Expressing  my  convictions  at  the  time, 
that,  if  I  should  visit  the  mine,  I  had  no  doubt  I  could  find  entire  fossil 
fishes,  and  thus  obtain  conclusive  proofs  as  to  the  true  geological  age  and 
position  of  the  coal  shales,  I  was-iemployed  to  examine   the  mine,  and  o 
the  29th  of  April,  in  company  with  Messrs.  Cook,  Spurr  and  Anthony,  I 
set  out  for  the  mine,  and  reached  there  on  the  3d  of  May.     On  the  5th 
of  May  I  went  into  the  mine,  and  obtained  a  number  of  slabs  of  the  shale, 
including  the  coal,  and  in  presence  of  a  large  number  of  miners,  and  per- 
sons interested  in  the  mine,  I  split  open  these  rocks,  and  in  the  very  first 
slab  opened,  I  found  an  entire  and  perfect  fossil  fish,  of  the  genus  Palaeo- 
niscus.    On  splitting  open  the  other  rocks,  I  discovered  three  or  four 
more  fishes,  and  an  abundance  of  fish  coprolites,  with  the  remains  of  putrid 
fishes  and  bunches  of  fish-scales.     These  discoveries,  so  new  and  astonish- 
ing, produced  much  excitement  at  the  mine,  and  created  an  enthusiasm 
among  the  workmen  to  discover  more  of  these  curious  relics  of  by-gone 
ages,  and  I  soon  after  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  larger  fossil  fish, 
from  the  chief  miner,  than  had  been  found  by  me  during  my  first  visit  to 
the  mine.     I  observed  some  very  curious  markings  in  the  shales,  resem- 
bling the  forms  of  rock  weed,  {fucus  vesiculosus,)  but  not  indentical  with 
any  fossil  plants  that  I  had  seen  ;  and  on  further  search,  at  a  subsequent 
visit,   these  markings  were  found  to   be  the  leaves  of  the  Sphoergedra 
resembling  one  described  by  Lindley  and  Ilutton,  (Vol.  iii.,  PL  159,)  and 
also  a  specimen  from  Pictou  coal  mines,  in  possession  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Tes- 
chemacher.     They  were  found  to  be  attached  to  branches  from  a  stem, 
as  represented  in  the  annexed  drawing,  (PI.  III.,  Fig.  6.) 

The  weather  proving  unpropitious  for  a  survey  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, and  the  snow  being  still  deep  in  the  forests,  I  could  only  make  my 
researches  in  the  mine  under  ground,  and  there  I  sketched  all  the  most 
important  features  of  tlie  bed,  and  its  including  rocks,  and  took  the  course 
of  it  and  of  the  strata,  both  of  which  have  a  direction  nearly  north-east  and 
south-west,  with  a  dip  at  a  high  angle  to  the  north-westward.  Since  all 
the  observations  I  made  on  my  first  visit  to  the  mine,  were  repeated  by  me 
in  greater  detail,  and  with  greater  exactitude,  during  my  second  visit, 
it  will  be  unnecessary  to  detail  those  made  at  the  first.  I  have  before  me 
the  notes  of  all  my  surveys  of  the  mine,  and  I  find  that  the  two  agree 
in  all  essential  particulars,  but  that  the  second  set  are  the  most  exact, 
since  the  extended  workings  of  the  mine  had  opened  better  views  of  the 
strata,  and  disclosed  the  character  of  a  few  of  the  disturbed  masses  of 
rock,  called  "  horses" — those  broken  strata  which  have  led  other  geolo- 
gists into  such  grave  errors,  by  causing  them  to  believe  that  they  consti- 
tuted the  walls  of  a  vein  in  a  cross-fracture  of  the  strata,  an  error  which 
more  exact  researches  have  entirely  corrected,  and  explained  in  perfect 
accordance  with  my  own  viewh  cuiiucruiug  the  position  of  the  bed,  and  of 
the  strata  inclosing  it. 


m 


6 


My  first  visit  to  youi*  mines,  as  before  stated,  was  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1851,  and  I  then  remained  until  the  13th  of  that  month,  when  I  returned 
to  Boston,  and  made  report  of  my  discoveries  to  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History.     On  the  23d  of  May,  I  was  again  called  to  visit  the 
mine,  and  met  there  Richard  C.  Taylor,  Esq.,  and  Professor  J.  Robb, 
who  had,  as  I  learned,  been  employed  by  an  individual  who  had  set  up 
claims  to  the  right  of  soil,  and  who  maintained  that  the  Albert  coal  was 
not  in  the  coal  formation,  and  was  not  coal  or  any  mineral  or  fossil  em- 
braced within  the  crown  reservations.   By  your  instructions,  these  gentle- 
men were  to  be  allowed  every  facility  in  satisfying  themselves  concerning 
the  geological  situation  of  the  mine  ;  but  it  was  distinctly  understood  that 
I  was  not  to  be  connected  with  them  in  any  joint  commission,  although  I 
was  allowed  to  invite  them  to  visit  the  mine  in  my  company.  Before  reach- 
ing the  mine,  this  was  fully  explained  to  those  gentlemen,  and  I  offered  to 
give   them  any  geological  information   concerning   the  mine,   that  was 
desired  by  them,  and  then  we  descended  into  it  together,  and  made  a  few 
observations  on  the  dip,  direction  and  width  of  the  coal-bed,  and  the  incli- 
nation of  the  rocks  including  it,  each  party  taking  notes  in  their  own  books, 
as  they  sai/fit.     No  other  survey  was  made  at  that  time,  nor  did  I  ex- 
press any  opinion  beyond  this,  that  it  was  obvious  enough  that  the  coal 
had  been  softened  in  place,  and  hence  had  assumed,  on  induration,   a 
columnar  structure.     I  steadily   maintained  that  it  was  coal,  and  a  re- 
gularly imbedded  mass  of  the  same  geological  age  as  the  bituminous  shales 
in  which  it  is  found.     This  opinion  Messrs.  Robb  and  Taylor  endeavored 
in  vain  to  change,  by  pointing  out  the  masses   of  strata   that  were  inter- 
calated in  the  coal-bed,  and  insisting  that  the  strata  were  discordant ;  while 
I,  on  the  other  hand,  denied  that  these  masses  formed  the  walls,  or  belonged 
to   the  general  stratification   of  the  country.      I  knew  that    they  were 
what  the  miners  call  "  hoi'ses,"  and  were  masses  of  crushed  and  broken 
strata,  that  had  broken  off  and  pressed  into  the  coal  during  its  partially 
softened  state,  and  at  the  epoch  of  its  elevation.      This  I  subsequently 
proved  by  causing  the  miners  to  cut  through  tMm  to  the  back  walls,  which 
were  found  most  perfectly  parallel  with  the  coal-bed,  and  in  accordance  with 
the  general  stratification  of  the  country. 

In  one  part  of  the  mine,  both  Mr.  Taylor  and  Professor  Robb  saw  the 
back  wall,  behind  one  of  these  "  horses,"  and  took  sketches  of  it.  Mr. 
Taylor  was  not  satisfied  with  Dr.  Robb's  sketch,  and  drew  one  himself,  and 
I  took  a  sketch  of  it,  too,  which  is  as  follows  : — 


Level  8.* 

a.  Wall  rock ;    course  N.  45°  E.,  dip 

N.  W.  70°. 

b.  "  Horse,"  or  crushed  strata. 

c.  Coal  seam. 

d.  Level  from  which  coal  had  been  ex- 

tracted. 


L_- 


*  For  Survey  of  mb  Level,  »ee  p.  29 


In  another  part  of  tlio  mine,  we  examined  a  projecting  mass  of  strata 
called  the  "  jog  "  and  I  made  the  following  sketch  of  it : —  ' 


h. "  Horse,"  or 
mass  of  strata 
included  in  coal 
at  the  jog. 


This  is  evidently 
a  "  shift"  or  "  fault" 
in  the  strata,  such 
as  frequently  occm- 
in  coal  mines.  (See 
also  my  survey,  plan 
No.  2.) 


At  the  place  where  the  miners  had  just  been  extracting  coal,  in  the  end 
of  the  9th  level,  the  following  diagram  was  sketched  : — 
Walls.  Walls. 

'^  rf.  9th  Level. 

d.     Shale  including  the  coal. 
c.     Crushed  coal. 

7  feet  10  inches  width  of  bed  ;  underlie  of 
strata  on  left  5%  or  about  7  feet  in  25  feet. 


In  the  4th  level  I  took  the  following  sketch 

Example  of  the  remark- 
able contortions  of  the 
strata. 


Level  No.  4  at  N.  E.  end. 


In  level  No.  6,  we  visited  the  blowers  of  fire  damp,  and  ignited  the 
bubbles  as  they  broke  through  the  water  at  the  bottom  of  the  level. 

After  making  such  observations  as  were  deemed  necessary,  we  came  to 
directly  opposite  conclusions  as  to  the  geology  of  the  mine,  and  the  nature 
of  the  coal,  and  I  considered  it  quite  unnecessary  for  us  to  hold  any  further 
discussion  on  the  subject,  since  I  knew  I  could  sustain  my  position  before 
the  scientific  world,  by  means  of  documents  from  the  hands  of  nature,  that 
admitted  of  no  dispute,  namely,  the  fossils  which  characterize  coal  forma- 
tions, and  which  arc  found  in  adequate  numbors  at  this  mine  to  an"ord  all 
the  evidence  desired.     Nevertheless,  I  omitted  no  examinations  that  were 


8 


m 


required  to  fully  couiirm  the  evidence  of  the  fossil  fishes  and  plants  that  I 
had  discovered.   On  exploring  the  strata  along  the  margin  of  the  brook,  near 
the  mine,  I  discovered  several  alternations  of  the  gray  sandstone,  full  ot  ca- 
lamites  and  other  usual  coal  plants,  with  the  fish-bearing  bitummous  shales 
of  the  coal  mine.     These  observations  cut  oif  the  last  ray  of  hope  m  the  op- 
posing party,  of  classing  that  sandstone  with  rocks  below  the  coal  series 
I  discovered  also  specimens  of  perfect  stems  of  Lcpidodendra,  in  the  shales 
of  the  mines,   associated  in  the  same  specimen  with  an  abundance  ot 
Pateoniscus  scales.     Large  flag-like  leaves  of  plants,  which  are  regarded 
as  a  species  of  Palm,  were  also  found  in  the  same  shales,  contaming 
fish-scales.      Stems  of  a  fresh-water  plant,  not  yet  determmed,  were 
also  found  in  the  same  shale  with  the  fishes.*     With  these  specimens 
in  my  hands,  I  felt  perfectly  sure  of  the  geological  age  of  this  coal-bed 
It  has  been  alleged  that  the  rocks  of  this  coal  mine  belong  to  the  old  red 
sandstone,  or  to  rocks  below  that  system.     Now,  I  confidently  appeal  to 
the  scientific  men  of  the  whole  world,  and  ask  if  they  ever  found  Palaeo- 
niscus  fishes,  Lcpidodendra  and  Palms  in  rocks  so  low  in  the  series  as  even 
the  old  red  sandstone,  to  say  nothing  of  rocks  lower  in  the  scale,    it  is  well 
known  that  not  om  of  the  fossUs  found  in  tM  shales  of  the  Albert  coal  mv^, 
was  ever  seen  in  any  rock  Mow  the  regular  coal  formation,  and  that  no  law  ot 
nature  is  more  certain  than  the  order  in  which  fossil  anima  s  and  plants 
are  disposed  in  the  earth's  crust.     Fishes,  though  proverbially  dumb,  are 
cood  witnesses  in  this  case,  and  fossil  plants  stick  to  the  truth  proved  by 
the  fishes.  I  collected  a  great  number  of  these  most  interesting  specimens, 
and  have  now  before  me  two  large  drawers  full  of  fossil  fishes  and  coal 
plants,  collected  at  the   Albert  mine  by  myself  and  my  friends  .     Al- 
ready I  have  described  six  new  species   of  the  genus  Palaeoniscus,  and 
have  no  doubt  that  I  shall  make  out  several  more.   I  have  before  me,  also, 
hundreds  of  specimens  of  shale,  full  of  fish-scales,  coprohtes,  and  portions 
of  fi'«hes,  more  or  less  perfect.     That  portion  of  the  strata  contaming  fashes 
would  naturally  be  less  fertile  in  remains  of  plants ;  hence  the  latter  are  not 
so  abundant :  but  I  doubt  not  that  further  explorations  which  shall  reach 
the  shores  of  the  ancient  lake  in  which  these  fishes  origmally  lived,  will  dis- 
close a  vast  abundance  of  plants  that  must  have  grown  on  its  margin,  and 
fringed  its  shores.     The  sandstone,  a  few  rods  up  the  little  stream  that 
runs  by  the  mine,  is  doubtless  the  sandy  shore  of  that  ancient  lake,  and 
when  opened  by  the  miners'  blast,  will  be  found  richly  stored  with  plants, 
forming  a  hortus  siccus,  or  Herbarium  of  olden  time.     This  state  of  things  is 
realized  on  searching  the  strata  to  the  eastward  of  the  mine  ;  and  also  m  the 
rocks  of  the  Cape  near  Demoiselle  Creek,  on  the  shores  of  the  Pcticodiac 
River,  so  strangely  mistaken  for  old  red  sandstone,  which  are  the  gray  sand- 
stones of  the  regular  coal-field,  they  being  full  of  the  usual  coal  plants 
and  large  fossil  trees,  three  of  which  are  seen  projecting  out  from  the 
inaccessible  part  of  the  cliff,  some  fifty  or  sixty  feet  overhead,  as  roughly 
sketched  in  the  following  diagram. 


*  S'mce 
the  Albert 


i  the  above  was  in  preas,  1  have  seen  a  sti^iuaria,  fonud  in  the  shale  ut 
ft  mines,  by  Mr.  Kobevt  Foulis.— C.  T  J. 


9 


Dip   South  10«'  to   16". 


m 


The  sandstone  fossil  plants  and  trees  are  identical  with  those  found  at 
the  well-known  coal  mine  of  the  South  Joggins,  on  the  opposite  shore  of 
Nova  Scotia.  At  Demoiselle  Cape,  on  the  Peticodiac,  I  found  a  narrow 
bed  of  coal  at  the  base  of  the  cliff,  with  stems  of  calamites  two  feet  long 
by  two  and  a-half  inches  in  diameter.  The  sandstone  is  full  of  the 
usual  coal  plants ;  so  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  its  geological  age  and 
position  in  the  series.  The  general  dip  of  the  strata  is  to  the  south,  a 
little  westward,  at  angles  of  from  10«  to  15°  from  the  horizon.  This  lo- 
cality is  east  from  the  coal  mine,  and  hence  the  sandstone  is  of  the  same 
series  with  the  beds  on  the  Western  side. 

The  Cape. 


Coal. 


E.— Red  Marl.  H.— Edgett's. 

F. — Demoiselle  Creek.  I. — Gray  Sandstone. 

Gr. — Edgett's  Cape.  J. — Conglomerate, 

The  strata  at  Edgett's  Cape  consist  of  coarse  conglomerate  rocks  made 
up  of  pebbles  of  quartz,  metamorphic  slate,  or  novaculite,  sienite,  epidote 
rock,  serpentine  and  slate,  cemented  by  a  red  clay,  with  spots  of  green 
marl.     No  fossils  were  found  in  this  cliff. 

The  next  cliff  to  the  south  of  Edgett's  is  near  Demoiselle  Creek,  and 
consists  of  gray  and  brown  sandstone,  or  grits  of  the  coal  measures,  full  of 
calamites  and  other  coal  plants,  and  contains  three  large  fossil  trees,  and 
has  at  the  base  small  beds,  or  seams  of  coal.  The  strata  dip  to  the  south, 
a  little  westward,  from  10®  to  15*^.  The  conglomerate  strata  at  Edgett's 
pass  beneath  this  sandstone.  Tt  is  proved  that  this  gray  sandstone,  fidl 
of  the  usual  coal  plants,  belongs  to  the  regular  coal  series,  and  is  the  equi- 
valent of  the  same  kind  of  sandstone  which  includes  the  shales  and  coals 
of  the  South  Joggins  of  Nova  Scotia.  We  come  next  to  compare  the  gray 
sandstones  of  Curry's  brook  with  this  rock,  and  find  it  as  follows  : — 


m 


•■m 


10 


itk 


0. — Gray  Sandstone. 

P. — Upper  Conglomerate. 

Q. — Brown  Bituminous  Shale. 


R.— Coal 
S.— Fire  Clay. 


The  strata  dip  to  the  south-eastward.  By  comparison  with  the  follow- 
ing section  of  Demoiselle  Cape,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  conglomerate 
rock  also  below  the  gray  grit. 


JDip  10®  to  160  S.  W. 


L. — Fine  gray  Grit — Fossil  Trees. 
M. — Coarse  brown  Grit. 
N. — Fine  blue  Sandstone. 


Q 

0.— Coal. 

P. — Under  Conglomerate. 

Q. — Peticodiac  River. 


It  is  also  important  to  show  the  geological  position  of  the  gypsum  of 
this  coal-field,  and  by  the  aid  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Foulis,  I  was  enabled  to 
trace,  in  a  rapid  manner,  the  order  of  succession  of  the  rocks  with  which 
it  is  associated,  his  familiarity  with  the  ground,  rendering  him  an  invalua- 
ble geological  guide.  On  visiting  Taylor's  mill  site,  on  a  small  stream,  a 
little  to  the  north  of  east  from  the  Albert  mines,  we  found  the  rocks  upon 
which  the  gypsum  rests,  as  represented  in  the  following  diagram. 


11 


^^^5 


T. — Coarse  Conglomerate. 
U. — Gray  Limestone. 
V. — Gypsum. 


W.— Red  Marl. 
X. — White  Head,  snowy 
white  Gypsum  Hills. 


In  the  bed  of  the  brook,  and  on  the  side  of  it,  occurs  a  coarse  conglo- 
merate, made  up  of  pebbles  of  quartz,  sienite,  green  metaraorphic  slate, 
trap-rock,  jasper  and  carbonate  of  lime.  On  this,  reposes  a  bed  of  gray 
limestone,  in  which  we  did  not  discover  any  fossils,  but  which  is  seen  to 
rest  directly  on  the  conglomerate,  with  which  it  dips  10"  regularly  to  the 
westward,  or  towards  the  gypsum,  which  is  found  a  quarter  of  a  mile  fur- 
ther west  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the  gypsum  rests  upon  the  lime- 
stone, and  the  limestone  upon  the  conglomerate,  which  is  a  member  of  the 
coal  group.  The  whitehead  gypsum,  is  about  a  mile  south-west  from 
Taylor's  mill,  and  is  a  bold  cliff,  presenting  a  mural  escarpment  of  thirty 
feet  in  height,  where  it  is  quarried.  This  gypsum  is  of  a  pure  snowy 
whiteness,  and  is  destitute  of  any  stratiform  structure,  and  contains  no 
fossils. 

In  company  with  Mr.  Foulis,  I  explored  the  margin  of  this  curiously 
crushed  coal  basin,  examining,  at  every  practicable  point,  the  rocks,  as 
they  were  exposed  in  the  beds  of  streams,  or  on  the  hill  sides.  We  searched 
the  bed  of  Milton's  brook,  where  we  found  bituminous  gray  sandstone, 
which  dips  gently  to  the  south-eastward,  at  an  angle  of  about  10".  Over 
this  gray  sandstone,  is  another  thin  stratum  of  black  shale.  We  came 
next  to  an  opening,  made  by  Mr.  Foulis,  in  search  of  coal,  and  observed 
the  bubbles  of  light  carbureted  hydrogen,  or  fire-damp,  that  burst  through 
the  water.  Following  the  brook  towards  a  small  lake,  on  Mr.  Allison's 
south-west  lease,  we  came  to  coarse  conglomerate,  in  the  bed  of  the  brook, 
and  on  the  hill.  It  dips  20"  to  the  northward.  This  spot  is  one  and 
three-fourth  miles  south  of  the  x\lbert  mine. 

Crossing  through  the  woods,  about  a  mile  and  a-half,  we  came  to  a 
hill  of  blue  slate,  much  indurated  and  highly  inclined,   the  dip  being 
40°    to  the    northward.     Crossing    again    through    the   woods    to   the 
eastward,  we  came  to  a  ravine,  filled  with   immense  blocks  of  sienite 
and  old  greenstone,  with  large  slabs  of  green  hone  slate.     The  nova- 
culite,  or  hone  slate,  was  soon  discovered  in  place,  and  found  to  have 
a  dip  to  the  northward  at  an  angle  of  35°  or  40°.     This  altered  slate 
rock,   is  remarkable   for    its   distinct   cleavages   into    rhombic    prisms, 
with  angles  of  70°  and  130°,   and  80°  and  120".     We  traced  the  strata 
of  this  rock   towards  the  sienite,  until  it  was  found  to  have  the  bold 
dip  of  70°  to  the  northward.     Mr.  Foulis  had  previously  explored  the 
sienite  rock,  on  the  borders  of  the  lake,  and  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that 
the  elevation  of  that  igneous  rock,  produced  the  high  dip  of  the  metamor- 
phic  slates  which  border  the  coal  basin,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  slate 
was  indurated  by  the  influence  of  the  molten  sienite  rocks,  at  the  epoch 
of  their  elevation,     The  coal  basin,  however,  was  probably  filled  with  its 


12 

Hodhuuiitary  deposits,  after  the  oiiginul  elevation  of  this  rock  ;  but  still 
tl-.v-'re  may  have  been  eoiiMidcrabli!  niovcnient  in  the  masses  siucu  these 
curious  metamor|ihoses  took  place,  for  we  have  no  proof  of  the  eruption  of 
any  sienite  roeks  subsequent  to  the  coal  formation.  It  is  evident  that 
this  is  the  southern  margin  of  the  coal  basin.  On  searching  for  the  north- 
ern margin  on  Caledonia  mountain,  thirteen  miles  west  of  the  mines,  wo 
foun(l  that  the  rocks  at  that  place  did  not  belong  to  the  Albert  coal  basin, 
but  dipped  to  the  northward,  away  from  it,  and  hence  were  of  no  importance 
in  this  ease.  IMetamorphic  slates,  similar  to  those  I  have  been  describing 
as  occurring  near  the  lake,  south  of  the  Albert  mine,  aro  also  found  in  the 
Caledonia  mountain,  and  had  been  examined  some  days  before  I  went  there, 
by  Mr.  Taylor.  We  found  the  places  where  he  had  broken  off  his  speci- 
mens, and  made  his  observations.  The  strata,  all  the  way  from  Eeasly's 
and  Stevens'  farms  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  dip  to  the  northward  at  a 
high  angle,  and  therefore  belong  to  a  more  northerly  basin.  It  is  there- 
fore unnecessary  to  describe  the  locality  in  more  detail,  for  the  strata  have 
no  connection  with  the  Albert  coal  mine. 

The  following  diagram  will  explain  the  relative  positions  of  the  igneous, 
metaniorphic  and  carboniferous  rocks  of  this  district. 


I  Mg^ 


}  Tayl 


or's  Jirook,  at  the  mill. 


1.  Sienite  and  old  greenstone,  at  Foulis'  Lake. 

2.  Novaculito,  metamorphic  slate,  near  lake. 

3.  Conglomerate  (lower)  on  hill,  near  lake. 

4.  Gray  sandstone,  or  freestone,  quarried. 

5.  Conglomerate,   fupper,) 

6.  Gray  limestone, 

7.  Gypsum,  (white  head.) 

8.  Gray  sandstone,  full  of  calamites,  brook  near  Albert  mine. 

9.  Bituminous  shales  with  coal,  fossil  plants  and  fishes  in  abundance. 

10.  Gray  sandstone,  with  calamites,  &c. 

11.  Coal  shales,  with  fish  scales,  &c.,  brook,  near  Albert  mine. 

This  system  is  mostly  seen  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  basin ;  the  other 
side  is  not  yet  explored  in  sufficient  detail  to  be  given.  I  have  designated 
the  position  of  the  gypsum  on  the  south-east,  as  it  was  determined  by 
observation,  on  the  north-west  side  it  was  not  sufficiently  explored  to 
determine,  with  accuracy,  on  the  Fuller  lease,  and  at  Milton's,  on  the 
southerly  side  of  the  basin.  Its  positions  there  are  shown  on  the  accom- 
panying map,  furnished  by  Mr.  Foulis.  The  gypsum  is  evidently  one  of 
the  carboniferous  group  of  rocks.  In  this  opinion  I  am  sustained  by  that 
of  Sir  Charles  Lyell,  Mons.  Jules  Mafcou,  traveling  geologist  to  the 
Museum  of  the  Garden  of  Plants,  at  Paris,  and  by  the  observations  of 
Mr.  Dawsou  in  Nova  Scotia.  The  position  of  all  the  rocks  given  i  i  the 
above  diagram,  k  known  from  actual  observations  made  by  Mr  R   Foulis 


18 


and  myself.  I  do  not  undortako  to  give  any  representation  of  the  disturbed 
strata  at  the  crush  in  the  mine,  knowing  that  it  would  bo  quite  impossible, 
without  a  coinploto  book  of  drawings,  to  show  all  the  dislocations  in  so 
disturbed  a  spot ;  but  I  can  show  how  geologists  have  been  deceived  by 
curved  strata,  the  edges  of  which  came  in  contact  with  the  coal  in  a  few 
spots,  thus  : 


Tho  continuous  linos  represent  the  strata  actually  seen  to  be  curved  as 
seen  in  the  mine.  The  dotted  lines  are  their  undoubted  continuations 
beyond  where  they  were  seen.  They  are  a  more  crimping  or  curving  of 
the  strata,  a  very  common  appearance  in  well-known  coal  mines.  Some- 
times portions  of  strata  were  forced  out  of  place,  directly  into  the  coal- 
bed,  and  form  those  masses  called  by  tho  miners  "  horses,"  worthless 
rocks  in  the  coal.  These  are  seen  in  several  places  in  this  mine,  and  one 
is  represented  in  a  preceding  diagram.  The  position  of  the  mass  of  shale, 
with  relation  to  tho  neighboring  gray  sandstone  on  the  south-east  of  the 
mine,  is  thus  represented  from  the  results  of  the  observations  of  Dr. 
James  Gr.  Percival,  Mr.  R.  Foulis,  and  myself. 


A. — Gray  Sandstone.  C- 

B.— Brook.  D.- 


-Mine. 

-Gray  Sandstone  with  calaraites,  &c. 


The  gray  sandstone  dips  southerly,  from  the  Peticodiac  River  to 
the  mill  east  of  the  mine.  On  the  brook,  near  the  mine,  the  strata 
of  shale  alternate  with  the  sandstone,  and  the  former  are  full  of  fish- 
scales,  and  the  latter  full  of  calamites  and  other  coal  plants.  Those  alter- 
nations prove  that  the  sandstones  and  shales  are  of  the  same  geological 
epoch,  and  that  they  all  belong  to  the  coal  formation. 

By  examination  of  the  accompanying  geological  map,  the  relations  of 
the  rocks  of  this  interesting  district,  will  be  more  fully  understood  than 
by  any  single  sectional  profile.  It  has  been  prepared  from  careful  and 
extensive  observations  made  by  Mr.  R.  Foulis  and  myself,  and  derives  most 
of  its  value  from  the  well-known  and  laborious  researches  which  Mr.  Foulis 
made  during  nearly  two  years  past,  while  he  was  engaged  in  searching 
for  coal  on  neighboring  estates.  In  expressing  my  _  obligations  to  this 
scieuiifie  gentleman,  I  perform  but  a  simple  act  of  justice  to  one  whose 
geological  labors  have  done  so  much  in  bringing  to  light  the  valuable 
minerals  of  this  province. 


14 


PHYSICAL  AND  CHEMICAL  CHARACTERS  OF  THE  ALRERT 

COAL. 

Tho  coal  of  tlio  Albort  county  mine  has  been  stated  to  he  entirely 
uniform,  and  an  argument  in  favor  of  its  being  asphaltuni  has  been  based 
upon  this  assumption.  That  it  is  not  uniform  in  density  iS  well  known  to 
those  who  have  purchased  it,  and  tho  results  of  my  experiments  in  tho 
coal  taken  from  (liflFerent  levels  of  tho  mine,  prove  indisputably  that  there 
is  a  great  difference  in  its  density,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  following  table  of 
specific  gravities  of  the  different  sj)ccunens  : 


1. 

Surface  in  Duffy's 

slopo, 

sp. 

gr- 

1.1120- 

-water  being  1 . 

2. 

u 

(( 

ii 

(( 

1.1140 

3. 

i( 

(( 

u 

u 

1.1014 

4. 

<( 

« 

u 

« 

1.1023 

5. 

Level  No.  6 

u 

1.1057 

6. 

(( 

No.  9 

u 

1.1093 

7. 

(( 

No.  8 

u 

1.1040 

8. 

a 

(( 

(( 

1.0990 

9. 

(( 

No.  9 

(( 

1.0950 

10. 

(( 

u 

a 

1.0905 

11. 

u 

No.  2 

(c 

1.0886 

12. 

u 

u 

<( 

1.0890 

13. 

Rotto 

m  of  D 

uffv's 

slopo 

u 

1.0916 

Trinidad  asphaltum  has  a  specific  gravity  of  1.328.  Asphaltum  from 
Egypt,  sp.  gr.  1.142.*  Hence  a  low  specific  gravity  cannot  be  adduced 
in  favor  of  the  identity  of  tho  Albert  coal  with  asphaltum.  The  powder  of 
Albert  coal  is  jet  black  :  that  of  asphaltum  is  snuff  brown.  Asphaltum 
melts  and  runs  when  heated — Albert  coal  does  not  melt  and  run. 


CHEMICAL  EXPERIMENTS. 

The  following  experiments  were  made  on  the  Albert  coal,  the  specimens 
being  taken  from  Level  8.  Sixty  grains  of  the  coal,  treated  in  fine  powder, 
with  a  fluid  ounce  of  naphtha,  and  corked  up  tight,  and  shaken  several 
times  per  day.  At  the  end  of  some  days  it  was  filtered  on  weighed  filter, 
dry,  at  212*^,  and  left  of  undissolved  coal  56.5  grains  ;  hence  3.5  grains  was 
dissolved  by  the  naphtha,  or  5.83  per  cent,  was  soluble,  and  94.17  insolu- 
ble. The  56.5  grains  which  naphtha  would  not  dissolve,  was  washed  with 
pure  ether,  and  then  digested  in  highly  rectified  oil  of  turpentine  in  a 
flask,  loosely  corked  and  boiled.  It  was  then  filtered  on  a  weighed  filter, 
dried  at  212°.  It  weighed  48.5  grains — hence  8  grains  had  been  dis- 
solved out  of  it,  or  14  per  cent.,  and  80.17  per  cent,  of  coal,  perfectly 
insoluble  in  all  menstrua,  remained. 

A  specimen  from  the  9th  Level  was  pidverized,  and  10  grains  of  it 
weighed  and  digested  in  pure  benzole,  so  long  as  any  matter  could  be  dis- 


*  Hogbead  coal,    from  SeoMnml,    has  n   speoific  gravity  of  1.155. 
l,ieliting,  Jan  10,  ISM. 


-Journal  of  Gnt 


16 


Bolvfid  out  of  it.  It  was  then  filtered  on  a  weighed  filter,  dried  at  212**, 
washed  thoroughly  with  benzole  and  ether,  and  dried  again  at  212".  It 
had  lost  two  grains  of  soluble  bitumen,  or  20  per  cent.  The  remaining 
80  per  cent,  of  coal  was  perfectly  in.solublo  in  all  the  Molvonts  that  would 
dissolve  bitumen. 

Samples  of  several  varieties  of  the  Albert  coal  were  acted  upon  by  pure 
chloroform,  which  dissolves  about  as  much  of  it  as  benzole  does. 

These  experiments  wore  repeated  several  times  with  the  same  results. 
lUe  bitumen  dis,solved  out  by  oil  of  turpentine  was  found  to  be  perfectly 
insoluble  in  alcohol,  and  was  not  any  kind  of  resin.  It  dries  and  forms  a 
pellicle  on  the  dish  from  which  the  oil  of  turpentine  is  evaporated,  and 
alcohol  will  not  remove  it,  even  when  aided  by  heat. 

Specimens  of  asphaltum  from  the  Dead  Sea,  and  chapapoto,  from  Cuba, 
were  found  to  bo  instantly  and  entirely  soluble  in  cold  benzole,  chloroform, 
and  warm  oil  of  turpentine.  Asplialtum,  from  Trinidad,  also  immediately 
dissolves,  and  leaves  nothing  but  a  little  gravel,  with  which  it  was  mixed, 
The  Albert  coal  was  compared  with  all  the  varieties  of  asphaltum 
above-mentioned,  and  with  some  specimens  froni  Egypt,  furnished  me  by 
Mr.  Teschemachcr,  and  no  analogy  was  found  between  them  in  any  of 
their  chemical  characters. 

All  the  specimens  of  asphaltum  melt  readily  at  a  heat  a  little  above  that 
of  boiling  water,  while  the  Albert  coal  does  not  melt,  even  in  molten  zinc, 
at  700*^  F.,  and  is  not  in  the  least  affected  by  the  heat  of  melted  tin,  a 
solid  tin  dish  filled  with  it  melting  readily,  without  the  coal  being  in  the 
slightest  degree  softened. 

So,  likewise,  a  thick  lead  cup,  filled  with  the  Albert  coal,  was  slowly 
heated  to  tL-  melting  point,  and  melted,  without  in  any  way  softening  tho 
coal.  Every  advantage  was  aiForded  to  enable  the  heat  to  melt  the  coal 
at  612'',  but  no  change  took  place  in  it.  Specimens  from  all  parts  of  the 
mine  were  tried,  but  not  one  could  be  found  that  would  i.  ,  tt  the  above- 
named  temperature. 

I  next  made  an  experiment  suggested  by  Mr.  James  E.  Tescheraacher, 
of  this  city,  taking  the  Albert  coal  in  fine  powder,  and  covering  a  sheet 
of  platinum  with  it,  and  placing  it  over  a  Berzclius  spirit-lamp,  and 
heating  it  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  see  if  it  could  be  melted  at  all.  It 
was  found  that  it  could  not  be  melted,  and  did  not  even  agglutinate  or 
cake,  but  when  sufficiently  heated  was  converted  into  coke,  taking  fire  as 
the  heat  reached  redness. 

On  making  the  same  experiroer/  "^th  every  kind  of  asphaltum  which  I 
had  in  my  cabinet,  and  on  aVl  kinds  .  —  could  be  obtained,  they,  without 
a  single  exception,  when  heahed  as  the  Albert  coal  had  been,  at  once  ran 
into  a  liquid  mass,  boiled  and  decomposed,  leaving  little  carbon  on  the 
platinum. 

I  also  tried  by  every  means  in  ray  power  to  melt  the  Albert  coal  m  a 
ladle,  and  in  crucibles,  so  as  to  pour  it  out,  as  had  been  alleged  could  be 
done,  and  in  no  case  was  I  able  to  melt  it ;  while  on  the  other  hand  all 
kinds  of  asphaltum  were  readily  melted  in,  and  poured  out  from  the  ladle, 
like  molten  pitch,  and  when  cold  the  asphaltum  was  found  but  little 
chanired  in  character,  being  only  a  little  porous  from  air  bubbles. 

I  brought  home  some  of  the  coal-tar  pitch,  which  was  so  abundantly 
scattered  about  Hillsboro'  by  Mr.  Edgett  and  his  associates,  and  found  that 


16 

it  softened  readily  in  boiling  water,  and  could  be  melted  in  a  flame  and  used 
for  sealing  wax.  It  melted  and  >in  when  placed  in  the  flame  of  a  lamp, 
was  decomposed  at  the  temperature  of  melting  tin,  and  corresponded  so 
well,  in  all  its  characters,  with  the  description  given  in  Mr.  Taylor's  report 
to  the  substance  he  describes  as  asphaltum,  that  I  could  not  avoid  be- 
lieving that  some  one  had  changed  Mr.  Taylor's  specimens,  for  not  one  of 
the  pieces  of  Albert  coal  which  I  took  out  of  the  mine  and  gave  him  has 
any  of  those  properties.  .  . 

From  carefixl  examinations,  with  every  possible  advantage  for  arrmng 
at  truth,  I  cannot  find  any  reason  to  regard  the  Albert  coal  as  any  variety 
of  asphaltum. 

TABULAR  STATEMENT. 

We  come  now  to  tabulate  the  geological  evidence  that  the  Albert  coal 
is  in  the  regular  coal  formation,  and  not  in  the  old  red  sandstone,  nor 
below  it. 

1st.  The  rocks  in  which  this  coal  occurs,  are  the  gray  sandstone,  like 
that  which  includes  the  coal  and  coal  shales  of  Nova  Scotia. 

2d.  That  these  sandstones  contain  the  usual  plants  that  characterize 
coal-grits. 

3d.  That  these  sandstones  alternate  with  the  coal-bearing  shales  of  the 
mine. 

4th.  That  the  shales  immediately  including  the  coal  contain  the  usual 
plants  found  in  other  well-known  coal  mines,  viz.,  Lepidodendra,  Pahn- 
like  leaves  and  stigmaria. 

5th.  That  these  shales  are  filled  with  the  scales  of  fishes,  and  contain, 
also,  perfect  fishes  of  the  genera  known  to  occur  in  the  coal  formation  of 
Europe. 

6th.  That  the  shales  are  uniformly  bituminous  throughout  the  coal  dis- 
trict of  this  mine,  and  must  have  been  formed  at  the  same  time,  and  of 
the  same  materials  usual  in  coal  deposits,  and  could  not,  by  any  possible 
means,  have  been  impregnated  so  generally  and  uniformly  with  bitumen, 
if  they  were  formed  before  the  epoch  of  the  formation  of  the  bituminous 
matter  of  the  coal  itself. 

7th.  That  such  bitumen  was  the  result  of  spontaneous  changes  of 
vegetable  matter  in  the  mud  or  clay  that  formed  the  shales,  it  having 
been  proved  by  the  observations  and  researclios  of  Dr.  James  G.  Percival 
and  myself,  that  such  bitumens  do  form  under  water  in  clay  and  mud,  even 
in  modern  times. 

8th.  That  there  is  no  other  known  origin  of  bituminous  matter  than 
that  of  changes  in  vegetable  substances,  by  the  process  before  alluded 
to.  viz.,  the  alteration  of  vegetable  matter  under  water. 

9th.  That  clay,  by  holding  water  long  stagnant,  peculiarly  favors  the 
conversion  of  vegetable  matters  into  bitumen. 

10th.  That  the  shales,  when  deposited,  must,  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  gravitation,  have  been  deposited  horizontally  or  nearly  so,  and  that 
they  since  have  been  uptilted  at  the  Albert  mine,  and  are  now  set  at  a 


17 

highly  inclined  angle  with  the  horizon,  but  are  generally  parallel  with  the 
included  bed  of  coal.     This  is  proved  by  the  position  of  the  fossils. 

11th.  That  the  general  direction  of  the  strata  which  include  the  coal 
is  north-east  and  south-west,  exactly  parallel  with  the  contiguous  strata. 
This  is  also  shown  by  Mr.  E.  C.  Taylor's  map  of  the  mine,  and  is  proved 
by  an  actual  survey  made  by  myself,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Brown, 
the  captain  of  the  mine.     (See  the  plan.) 

12th.  That  there  is  not  any  reason  to  believe  that  any  igneous  agency- 
was  ever  exerted  upon  the  rocks  of  this  mine  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  their 
soft  clay-like  nature,  the  abundance  of  volatile  matters,  bitumen,  and 
ammoniacal  salts  which  they  contain,  positively  prove  that  they  have 
never  been  exposed  to  igneous  agency,  such  as  would  result  from  volcanic 
or  plutonic  disturbances. 

That  the.   Coal  is  a  true  led  or  mass  included   beticeen  strata  of  rocks 

before  proved  to  belong  to  the  Coal  formation,  and  has  the  structure  of 

Coal. 

1st.  By  its  being  a  bed  running  in  the  same  direction  with  the  including 
strata. 

2d.  By  its  being  generally  parallel  with  the  laminse  of  deposit  of  the 
strata,  as  shown  not  only  by  the  structure  and  cleavages  of  the  shales, 
and  by  the  position  of  the  fossils  that  were  deposited  between  the  layers 
of  sediment  forming  the  rock. 

3d.  By  the  structure  of  the  coal  itself,  which  shows  layers  of  different 
shades  of  color,  and  diflferent  composition  or  arrangement,  that  the  now 
highly  inclined  or  nearly  vertical  bed  was  once  horizontal,  and  exactly 
parallel  with  the  strata  of  the  rock  at  the  time  that  they  were  de- 
posited. I  do  not  refer  to  the  columnar  structure  which  has  resulted 
from  changes  which  the  bed  has  undergone  since  it  was  tilted  up,  nor 
to  the  crushed  coal  which  has  been  broken  by  movements  since  the 
coal  became  brittle  ;  but  to  the  solid  coal  itself,  which,  on  being  viewed, 
shows  lines  of  structure  crossing  the  columns  nearly  perpendicularly,  and 
to  the  fact  that  the  coal  in  many  places  separates  parallel  to  that  struc- 
tural arrangement,  especially  where  it  has  been  exposed  to  the  action  of 
the  atmosphere,  as  in  Duffy's  slope,  near  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

Mr.  Teschemacher  thinks  he  is  able  also  to  detect  the  remains  of  organic 
structure  in  the  coal  itself,  as  he  has  so  successfully  done  with  respect  to 
anthracite,  and  other  coals,  the  vegetable  origin  of  which  was  also  at  one 
time  denied  or  doubted,  as  that  of  this  coal  recently  has  been  by  the  Geo- 
logists employed  by  the  party  adverse  to  your  claims.  In  some  specimens 
we  think  there  are  pretty  distinct  remains  of  the  structure  of  stigmaria  in 
that  portion  of  the  coal  which  was  sustained,  while  in  its  original  pulpy 
state,  by  the  clay  that  now  forms  the  shale  roof  and  floor  of  the  mine. 

The  conchoidal  fracture  of  the  Albert  coal,  which  is  often  referred  to 
to  prove  it  is  not  a  coal,  is  merely  the  result  of  the  perfect  fineness  of 
the  pulpy  vegetable  matter  that  formed  it. 

It  is  probable  that  the  highly  bituminous  character  of  the  Albert  coal  is 
owing  to  its  never  having  been  subjected  to  heat,  which  would  have  removed 
a  portion  of  the  bitumen,  if  it  had  acted  on  it,  and  would  have  rendered 
it  less  bituminous,  like  the  ordinary  bituminous  or  semi-bituminous  coals. 

2 


18 


I*  1  !  i 


.'I  t  ! 

i  ,1   :  ' 


h  'i 


Conchoidal  fracture  is  common  to  many  coals,  and  is  o^^^f  ^^^^^  *^^ 
recent  coal  formed  by  the  spontaneous  bitumimzation  of  peat,  "^s  Jo* 
In  any  way  a  reliable  character,  but  is  a  mere  accidental  result  or  he 
resdt  of  fine  composition  and  structure.  I  would  also  observe  that  the 
folor  of  the  powdL  of  this  coal  is  black  while  that  of  ^1  -netie^^^^^^ 
asphaltum  is  brown,  or  nearly  the  color  of  Scotch  snuff.  This  is  a  phy 
M  character  admitted  by  mineralogists  in  the  d^f^.'-f^^n  thTco  oJ 
bodies,  and  is  characteristic  of  species  much  more  certainly  than  the  color 

of  masses. 

Fossil  Fishes  of  th  Coal  formation  found  in  tlu  Coal  Mine  of  Hills- 
boro\  in  Albert  County,  in  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick. 
It  is  generally  conceded  by  experienced  geologists  that  the  character  of 
the  ogfnic  remains  found  included  between  the  strata  of  such  rocks  a 
were  fSmed  since  the  earth  was  inhabited  by  living  beings    is  the  most 
Tel  able Tvidence  of  their  geological  age,  and  best  determmes  their  position 
n  the  scaYe  of  rock  formations."  Eminent  naturalists  Y""' ^;::  f^l.t 
unfrequently,  to  discover  the  true  age  and  geological  position  of  a  rock, 
which  they  had  never  seen  in  place,  simply  by  the  examination  of  a  few 
fos  Us  which  were  put  into  their  hands.     These  fossil  remams  of  animals 
and  vegetables  are^he  great  seals  by  which  the  Ckkatoh  stamped  th^^^ 
epoch  of  formation,  and  the  relative  age  of  every  sedimentary  depo  ^^  at 
the  time  it  was  made,  thus  writing,  in  unmistakeable  characters,  on  these 
«  tables  of  stone,"  the  history  of  Creation  from  the  dawn  of  organic  h^^^ 
We  approach  these  relics  of  by-gone  ages  with  mingled  fc^i«g«  of 
curiosity  and  awe,  knowing  that  they  are  the  work  o    P^^^J^J^^^^^^^l 
and  tvpes  of  that  order  of  beings  which  was  the  first  mtroduction  ot  ver- 
tebrate^ animals,  a  system  of  which  man  is  the  completion  and  perfect 

%teTorW  during  the  epoch  of  the  coal  formation,  was  far  from  being 
a  desolaTwa^te  of  L  „Leral  matter.  Life  had  already  clothed  he 
earth  with  rich  foliage,  and  crowded  the  waters  and  the  groves  with 
;ol:  animab,  enloied  with  orpns  of  sensation  of  much  hgher^^^^^^ 
mo.e  delicate  powers  of  perception  than  were  possessed  t>y  those  of  a  more 
ancient  date,  for  the  nervous  sensorium  of  the  animal  creation  has  steadily 
advanced  in  process  of  development  from  the  earlier  organisms  of  the 
Lore  ancient  Jalseozoic  rocks  to'the  coal  period  and  from  thence  forward 
with  rapidly  increasing  perfection,  to  the  actual  epoch,  or  the  time  of 

"^Theworld'^we  may  feel  assured,  swarmed  with  life  during  the  coal 
period,  for  otherwise  we  should  not  discover  in  the  few  '  tjf  ^^^  «  ««  '" 
Lken  open  by  the  feeble  labors  of  man,  such  a  profusion  of  their  en- 
tombed remains.  We  may  not  be  able  to  penetrate  at  once  mto  all  the 
laws  which  brought  about  this  wonderful  conservation  of  relics  ot  former 
ife  nor  be  able  to  picture  in  the  mind  the  precise  manner  m  which  each 
fosJil  animal  came  to  his  death,  nor  learn  exactly  by  what  means  he  wa^ 
bured  embalmed  or  petrified  ;  but  we  have  already  learned  much,  and 
Should  be'hankful  for  that,  without  lamenting  that  we  are  -t  able  to  tear 
"  .  ,  .,  /.  _^_'__  „„  J  t«  Ti-^M^o"  i^a  whnlnintfirnal  machinery, 
asunder  the  veil  of  crcauuu,  ana  to  ga^v  .5i!>..  ---  ••"- ^        -  _ 

and  learn  all  the  details.    So  far  as  the  researches  of  man  have  gone,  in  the 


19 


examination  of  fossils  of  the  coal  formation,  everything  seems  to  indicate 
that  climate  temperatures  did  not  at  thav  epoch  depend  solely  upon  the 
solar  radiation,  or  if  they  did,  tlie  earth  must  have  had  a  very  different 
position  in  the  ecliptic  from  that  which  it  now  has.  Otherwise  we  should 
not  find  remains  of  intertropical  plants  in  the  rock  formations  constituting 
the  coal-hearing  strata  of  the  Frozen  Zone,  as  in  Melville's  Island.  Nor 
should  we  find  such  orders  of  plants  in  the  coal-fields  of  Cape  Breton, 
Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick. 

The  fossil  plants  of  the  coal  formation  all  belong  to  extinct  species, 
and  their  nature  is  known  only  by  comparison  with  living  plants.  Vast 
progress  in  this  most  interesting  department  of  science  has  been  already 
made,  as  is  proved  by  the  ponderous  volumes,  full  of  descriptions  and 
plates  of  the  ancient  fossil  flora,  which  have  resulted  from  the  labors  of 
Brongniart,  Lindley  &  Hutton,  Baron  Sternberg,  and  others. 

Invertebrated  and  molluscous  animals,  especially  such  as  had  testaceous 
coverings,  are  most  abundant  in  rocks  below  the  coal  formation,  and  some 
of  them  are  found  alternating  with  deposits  of  aquatic  vegetation  of  the 
coal-field.  But  the  most  important  type  of  vertebrate  animals,  such  as 
fishes,  are  extremely  rare  in  rocks  antecedent  to  coal,  though  the  labors 
of  Hugh  Miller  and  others  have  laid  before  the  world,  in  their  works  and 
those  of  M.  Agassiz,  a  number  of  the  strange  fishes  of  the  old  red  sand- 
stone group  in  Europe,  proving  that  the  type  of  fishes  began  in  rocks 
anterior  to  the  coal,  while  not  a  single  species  found  in  the  old  red  sand- 
stone occurs  in  the  coal  rocks  of  any  country. 

I  shall  have  occasion  to  show,  as  we  proceed,  that  there  is  not  any  difii- 
culty  in  distinguishing  fishes  of  the  coal  formation  from  those  of  the  old 
red  sandstone,  and  that  any  intelligent  person  who  has  spent  a  few  days 
in  examining  specimens,  can  pick  out,  with  absolute  certainty,  every  fish 
that  belongs  to  the  coal  formation,  from  a  cabinet  filled  with  heterogen- 
eous assemblage  of  fishes  of  the  old  red  sandstone,  and  of  the  coal  forma- 
tion. Our  lithographer,  M.  Sonrel,  who  executed  M.  Agassiz's  plates  of 
fishes  of  the  old  red  sandstone,  on  viewing  my  fishes  from  Hillsboro', 
declared  that  there  was  not  a  species  among  them  belonging  to  the  old  red 
sandstone,  and  wondered  that  any  one  could  have  mistaken  them  for 
fishes  of  that  epoch. 

It  is  said  that  an  entke  fish,  not  then  discovered,  was  delineated  cor- 
rectly by  Agassiz,  from  an  attentive  examination  of  a  single  scale,  and 
the  fish  subsequently  discovered  agreed,  in  all  essential  particulars,, 
with  that  sketched  in  advance  of  its  discovery.  This,  at  first,  seems  a 
very  difiicult  thing  to  do,  but  after  a  few  weeks'  study  of  fossil  fishes, 
I  will  venture  to  say,  that  any  ingenious  person  can  do  it,  without  any 
instructor  ;  for  the  laws  of  organization  of  fishes  of  this  ancient  type 
are  peculiar,  especially  in  the  formation  of  their  scales,  which  are  so 
characteristic  as  to  afford  all  the  data  required  for  the  reconstruction 
of  the  outlines  of  a  fish,  even  from  a  single  scale.  This  is  particu- 
larly easy  with  regard  to  ganoid  fishes,  of  the  genus  Palajoniscus  ;  their 
broad,  firm  and  brilliant  scales,  like  plated  mail,  being  found  perfectly 
preserved  with  every  striation,  serration,  and  articulating  process.*    It 

»  It  is  not  mv  intention  to  diminisb  in  any  way  th«  credit  due  to  Mr.  AtfassiJi  for  thii 
experiment,  but  on  the  contrary  to  give  it  credibility  among  .tbwse  who  Lave  not  a  just 
M)pceciation  of  the  unerring  laws  of  scientific  induction.  Like  the  egg  expenment  of 
Columbus,  it  is  easy  enough  to  repeat  aft«r  one  has  been  shown  how  to  do  it. 


I  nil 


20 
^A^..  r.«Pofi^^rv    however,  that  particular  scales  should  be  obtained, 

rto«t  skmedTtoarawthe  oullmea  of  an  unknown  speoesfrom 

«ltLt^"tal*LTHnowte  exact  history  of  the.  discoveries, 

JZL  1  cpyfrL  2rr;'^'»^:™'thrsten^tendent  of  the 
On  reccmng  a  p.eec  of   hale,  ^""O  ^«j%  „„„„Ji,ed,  in  a  moment, 

.T'  '^Tp^^oSr  fS^^^Vo  in  Ve"ar'spiin.en,  a  to'oth 
the  g«»"«  P/i*'°'„7;tici  no  other  remams  or  impressions  have  yet  been 
of  a  «-^r«^^.f  J^  at  the  time  to  the  members  of   he 

found.  „^^.^«/P^^.°'^J"  j;,  Higtorv  and  the  prediction  was  hazarded,  that 
Boston  Society  of  Natural  ^^^^^ry '  *^*;;.     g  ,       ^  ^^.g  orjer  mentioned. 

'^ITZV^oXoi^^Ll^X^i^-''-^  I  accepted  with  pleasnre 

the°it:^hii,^i  w»f,/p!;?„r- r°i?  tjt.:^'^:^ 

scales  shming  ^ith  si  very  brilliancy,  though  «f  *  ^f^j^^    ^  p^i^^- 
It  is  a  regularly  embalmed,  not  petrified  fish,  (bee  ±-1.  i.,    ig-    , 
nisciis  Alberti.)  ^         ^^^^^  specimens  of  the 

away  m  fragments      ^^  ,*';^^^^^^^  Numerous 

:lhef':f  firSes^sLiJnd:  ^^^i:^^^^ 

l^^t:t^r^^^rXL^^  Td^UVs.whic,;,  I 

havl  no  doubt,  is  the  true  explanation  „„crements  of  fishes  em- 

.aJ^rsimt:  si:5=i^|5-£ -- 

These  are  called  fish  coprohtes,  and,  on  ^"^•yf '  \P'JJ^i„  t^e  excremen- 


21 

it  open,  patches  of  carbonate  of  ammonia  were  found  condensed  in  the 
cooler  portion  of  the  rock.     This  was  proved,  by  tests,  to  be  carbonate  of 

ammonia.  „  ,         ,  r      j 

Numerous  aquatic  plants,  of  the  genus  Sphoersedra,  were  tound  asso- 
ciated with  the  fishes  and  fish-scales,  but  no  other  perfect  coal  plants  were 
found  in  the  shale  during  my  first  visit  to  the  mine  ;  the  stormy  weather 
and  snow  preventing  deliberate  search.  :,    -,     r     ^^ 

On  the  13th  of  May,  I  returned  to  Boston,  and  exhibited  the  fossil 
fishes  to  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History  on  the  21st  of  that  month, 
and  described  the  species  so  far  as  I  had  examined  them. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  I  was  again  employed  to  visit  the  mine,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  more  complete  survey  than  the  weather  would  permit 
on  my  former  visit,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  to  two  geolo- 
gists, who  had  been  sent  there  by  a  person  setting  up  claims  to  the  mine, 
under  pretence  that  the  coal  was  not  in  the  coal  formation,  and  was  not 
coal,  but  asphaltura,  which  he  was  understood  to  allege  was  not  one  of  the 
minerals  reserved  by  the  crown,  but  appertained  to  the  soil. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  I  reached  Hillsboro'  and  completed  my  sur- 
vey before  the  8th  of  June,  collecting  a  large  number  of  fossil  fishes  and 
coal  plants  at  the  Albert  mines,  and  returned  to  Boston  on  the  12th 

The  miners,  since  my  first  visit,  had  learned  how  to  find  the  fossil 
fishes,  and  Mr.  Brown,  the  captain  of  the  mine,  discovered  the  finest 
specimen  that  has  yet  been  seen,  and  he  presented  it  to  me.  (bee  Fl.  1., 
mrr.  2,  Falaoniscus  Brownii.)  Another  beautiful  specimen  was  dissected 
out  by  Mr  Barber,  one  of  the  assistants  of  the  superintendent.  This  is 
represented  in  PI.  I.,  Fig.  3.  Another  very  large  species  was  discovered 
bv  me,  after  my  return  home,  on  splitting  open  one  of  the  slabs  ot  shale. 
This  is  represented  in  PL  I.,  Fig.  4.     It  is  the  largest  that  has  yet  been 

PI  II.,  Fig.  1,  represents  a  portion  of  a  beautifully  preserved  Palapo- 
niscus,  having  the  four  great  dorsal  scales  anterior  to  the  dorsal  fin,  like 
the  P.  decorus  of  Sir  Philip  M.  de  Egerton.  (See  Trans.  Geol.  Soc, 

Lond.,  1849.)  „  ,       .  i. 

Flexures  3  and  3  bis.,  represent  a  very  pretty  Palseomscus,  much  con- 
torted, as  if  it  had  struggled  to  clear  itself  of  the  mud,  when  imbedded 
It  is  compressed  so  as  to  represent  the  back,  and  the  gill  plates  are  pressed 
open  The  head  is  pointed  as  would  result  from  vertical  compression  ot 
the  fish.  This  individual  must  have  lain  upon  the  muddy  bottom  ot  the 
lake,  with  its  back  or  abdomen  up,  for  such  the  position  of  the  strata 

^Tkure  4  is  a  perfect  fish,  discovered  in  my  presence  by  Mr.  Wallace, 
deputy  collector  of  the  port,  and  the  head  is  pointed  as  m  that  specimen. 
Acoproliteis  seen  apparently  under  it,  protruding  along  the  upper  side 

of  the  curved  fish.  .  ,  ,       .    p  +  „i.i, 

Fiff.  7  is  a  PaliBoniscus'  lower  jaw,  contaming  the  whole  set  ot  teeth, 
placed  in  a  lim  firmly  fixed  in  the  jaw,  like  those  of  a  salmon.  These  fishes 
1  shall  now  describe  more  minutely  ;  and  if  my  descriptions  are  imperfect, 
M.  Sonrel's  beautiful  lithographic  drawmgs  will  supply  any  omissions 
that  I  may  make. 


22 


DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  FOSSIL  FISHES  OF  THE  ALBERT 

COAL  MINE. 

PI.  I.,  Fig.  1.     This  fish  is  the  first  one  that  was  discovered  by  me  at 

^tscmtiTN.-Fish,  four  diameters  of  its  body  long  ;  head,  obtuse  or 
blunt,  as  if  obliquely  compressed  on  upper  and  front  part ;  whole  length, 
3  3-10  inches  ;  width,  in  middle  of  body,  85-100  mch  ;  M,  one  dorsal, 
opposite  anal,  small  triangular,  3-lOths  of  an  inch  ^J,^^^^' f^*^^' ^^P" 
ini  as  if  the  fish  was  dead  before  it  was  mclosed  m  the  mud,  (now  shale). 
MaL  small,  triangular,  a  little  larger  than  dorsal ;  Pectoral  small,  com- 
pressed into'mass  of  sc'ales  of  body  of  the  fish  ;  Tml  bifurcated,  unequal 
very  long,  and  tapering  in  upper  division,  which  extends  to  a  fine  point    Ifie 
S  run  down  on  up|er  division  of  tail,  and  become  gradually  smaller  to 
tip  :  amdal  rays  come  exclusively  from  under  side  ot  upper,  and  from 
lower  division  of  taU.    Scales  of  body  brUUant,  rhomboidal,  wavy,  serrated 
on  posterior  margins,  color  light-brown.     This  fish  is  embalmed  and  not 
petrified.     No  ridge  of  bone  is  seen  to  indicate  the  vertebral  column, 
hence  the  bones  must  have  been  cartilaginous  and  compressible.     Ihe 
gUl  plates  are   too  confusedly  compressed  to  J^^   ^^«?««^tf  / .  .?,*°"^; 
find  i^  any  published  book  any  figure  of  a  fossil  fish  identical  with  his 
It  is  evidently  a  Palseoniscus,  and  is  probably  a  young  individual  aa 
seems  to  be  indicated  by  its  small  size,   and  the  delicacy  of  its  scales 
We  will  name  it,  provisionally,  Palaomscns  Alberti,  m  commemoration 
of  its  being  the  first  fossil  fish  discovered   in  Albert  county,  in  New 

PI  I  Fi<»  2  This  beautiful  fish  was  found  by  Mr.  Brown,  the  cap- 
tain of  the  mine,  subsequent  to  my  first  visit  to  HiUsboro'  It  is  one 
of  the  largest,  or  full-grown  species.  It  was  unfortunately  broken  in  the 
operation  of  extracting  it,  but  it  still  is  a  very  valuable  specimen.  Th  s 
Sg  the  first  fossil  fish  found  by  the  chief  miner,  I  have  named  it 

Palceoniscus  Brownii.  „    ,     ,  .         •         x 

DEscRiPTioN.-Fish  nearly  whole.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  species  yet 
found,  and  its  length  is  three  times  the  greatest  width  of  it^s  body  ;  whole 
length,  5  3-lOth  inches  ;  breadth,  1  7-lOth  inches  ;  head  broken  off  just 
in  front  of  pectoral  fin  ;  extremity  of  tail  broken  ;  abdommal  fin  missing, 
it  having  been  broken  in  getting  out  the  specimen  Dorsal  fin,  a  little 
behind  middle  of  body,  opposite,  or  rather  a  little  in  front  of  anal. 

PI  I  Fig  3,  represents  a  perfect  fish  of  the  genus  Palaeoniscus  which  was 
found  on  the  3d  of  June  last.  In  its  general  form  and  appearance  it  resem- 
bles the  FalcBoniscus  Elegans  of  Prof.  Sedgewick,  (Loud.  Geol  Trans.,  2d 
series.  Vol.  iii.  PI.  9,  Fig  1,)  and  Agassiz,  (Recherches  sur  les  Poissons 
Fossiles  Vol  ii.,  Tab.  10.,  Fig.  5,)  but  it  differs  from  that  species  m  the 
dtriation  of  the  scales,  the  striae  of  the  Hillsboro'  species  being  parallel 
te  the  anterior  and  lower  margins  of  the  scales,  and  the  shape  of  the  scales 
differing  essentially  from  Mr.  Sedgewick's  species.  .  •,    v  j 

Description  --^Fish,  long  and  slender,  4  1-2  diameters  of  its  body 
lone  •  length  of  head,  a  little  less  than  the  largest  diameter  ot  the  body  ; 
the  head  has  the  shape  of  an  equilateral  spherical  triangle  ;  tip  ot  nose,  or 


23 


snout  curiously  tuberculated  and  dotted ;  gill  plates  cannot  be  dissected,  they 
are  so  brittle  and  confused  with  the  head ;  fins,  pectoral  a  little  behind 
eUl  plates,  and  extend  below  the  fish  3-lOths  of  an  inch,— it  is  a  narrow- 
pointed  fin,  well  marked  with  its  rays.  Dorsal  fin  far  back  towards  the  tail, 
a  Uttle  anterior  to  anal ;  it  is  half  an  inch  long  and    2-10th8  of  an  inch 
high,  and  is  well  marked  with  its  rays.     Anal  fin  somewhat  larger  than 
dorsal,  a  little  posterior  to  it.     Ahdcminal  fin  very  small,  situated  a  very 
little  in  advance  of  the  middle   of  the  body ;  tail  unequally  bifurcated 
or  heterocercal ;  scales  run  down  on  it  becoming  smaller  and  more  and  more 
-"-ately  rhomboidal  or  lozenge  shaped  as  they  recede  ;  caudal  rays  come 
exclusively  from  under  side  of  upper  division  of  tail.     Scales  obtusely  rhom- 
boidal on  anterior  and  middle  of  body,  and  are  distinctly  striated  parallel 
to  r^nterior  and  lower  margins,  while  they  are  smooth  and  very  brilliant 
towards  and  upon  the  tail ;  dorsal  scales  large  and  m  form  of  obtuse 
spherical  triangles  pointing  backwards  towards  the  dorsal  fin.   1  his  species 
is  not  described  in  any  book  I  have  examined,  and  believing  it  to  be  new, 
I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  naming  it  Palcemiscus  Cairnsii,  after  the  highly 
intelligent  superintendent  of  the  Albert  coal  mine,  William  Cairns,  to 
whoselictive  and  unremitting  labors  I  am  indebted  for  so  many  specimens 
of  these  interesting  fossils.  , 

PI  I    Fig    4      This  large  and  elegant  fish  was  most   untortunateiy 
broken  "in  splitting  it  out  from  the  rock,  only  the  posterior  part  of  it 
having  been  saved  in  a  fit  condition  for  delineation.    The  whole  length 
of  the  fish  was  originally  fifteen  inches.     That  portion  which  remams 
entire  is  5  1-2  inches  long  ;  it  was  broken  off  through  the  posterior  edge 
of  the  dorsal  fin.     It  was  an  old  fish,  as  is  evident  from  the  appearance 
of  the  scales  which  are  thick,  heavy,  and  have  their  stnations  m  part 
obliterated,  while  the  serrations    are  extremely  sharp  and  deep,     ihe 
scales  are  elongated  rhomboids,  and  have  many  striae  upon  their  surface 
which  run  parallel  with  their  upper  and  lower  margms      Uudal  scales, 
acute  lozenges.     They  run  down  on  upper  division  which  is  long  and 
covered  with  scales.     Rays  of  tail  come  off  very  distmctly,  exclusively 
from  underside  of  the  upper  division, and  the  tail  is  unequal  or  hetero- 
cercal     UntU  we  obtain  an  entire  specimen,  perhaps  it  will  be  prudent 
to  abstain  from  giving  a  specific  name.     It  is  a  species  of  the  genua 

PI  II     Fig  1.     This  species  so  nearly  resembles  the  PaZaowwc^s  «?e- 
corusoi  Sir  Philip  M.  de  Egerton,  as  on  first  view  to  pass  for  it ;  but  on 
examining  the  lines  of  striae,  we  are  forced  to  regard  it  as  another  species. 
The  four  great  dorsal  scales,  anterior  to  the  lorsal  fin,  exactly  resemble 
in  form   those  represented  in  Sir  Philip  M.  de  Egerton's  plate.     (See 
Quarterly  Journal  Geological  Society  of  London,  for  1849.)     The  scales 
of  one  specimen  are  striated,  parallel  with  the   superior  and   inferior 
margins,   and  are  deeply  and  acutely  serrated  on  their  posterior  edges. 
The  lines  of  striation  are  worn  away  considerably,  indicating,  perhaps, 
that  it  was  an  old  fish.     It  was,  when  entire,  about  eight  inches  long,  and 
it  is  two  inches  in  diameter  from  the  anterior  edges  of  Jhe  dorsal  and  anal 
fins      The  lithographic  delineation  gives  a  sufficiently  full  exhibition  ot 
the 'characters  of  this  specimen,  which  appears  to  be  of  the  same  species, 
y  near  the  species,  la!?t  described.  ,•      „  4^ai. 

Fig:  2,  2  bis.  are  delineations  of  specimens  of  shale,  representing  a  tish 


or 


24 

and  its  counter  print  in  the  rock,  just  as  it  was  split  open.  It  is  a  small 
Bpecies  of  Paljxjoniscus,  compressed  vertically,  and  is  contorted  as  it  the 
fish  had  strucrgled  to  extricate  himself  when  imprisoned  in  the  mud  that 
now  forms  tlds  rock.  The  line  of  dorsal  scales,  in  the  middle  of  this  fish, 
proves  its  position  to  he  as  I  have  stated,  and  this  opinion  is  still  further 
confirmed  by  the  shape  of  the  head,  and  by  the  open  gill  covers.  Ihis 
fish  must  have  been  caught  in  the  mud  alive,  since  it  was  in  an  upright 

^°Flr3.  represents  a  beautiful  and  perfect  fish,  found  at  the  new  pit  of 
the  Albert  coal  mine,  by  Mr.  Wallace,  Deputy  Collector  of  Hillsboro  , 
who  kindly  presented  it  to  me.  It  is  compressed  vertically,  or  trom  tne 
back  towards  the  abdomen,  and  the  head  is  also  vertically  compressed 
between  the  strata.  The  large  dorsal  scales,  so  characteristic,  are  seen 
along  the  middle  of  the  fish.  There  is  a  coprolite  seen  projecting  from 
near  the  middle  of  the  fish,  and  it  is  not  certain  whether  it  is  included 
partially  in  its  body,  or  was  in  the  mud  before  the  fish  was  deposited  or 
caught.     The  body  of  the  fish  curves  over  the  coprolite  as  if  it  had  been  a 

hard  substance.  ,    ,    ,  ■.    j    o  i  o 

Description.— Fish  is  4  1-2  diameters  of  its  body  long ;  body  3  1-2 
inches  long;  head  in  form  of  equilateral  spherical  triangle  ;  giUs  open  ; 
back  of  head  beautifully  marked  by  tuber culations,  or  striae  and  dots  ;  dorsal 
scales  oval-shaped  and  striated,  the  most  pointed  part  of  the  scale  being 
towards  the  tail,— they  run  along  the  entire  back  to  the  tail,  excepting  at 
the  place  where  the  dorsal  fin  is  compressed  ;  scales  of  body  serrated  on 
posterior  margins,  and  striated  parallel  with  their  upper  and  lower  edges, 
and  wavy  in  middle.  I  am  disposed  to  regard  this  individual  as  belonging 
to  the  same  species  as  the  one  before  described.  _ 

Fiff  2  2  bis. — Figure  7th  represents  a  lower  jaw  of  a  Palaeoniscus  troni 
the  Albert  mines.  It  is  interesting  as  showing  the  mode  of  dentition  of 
these  ancient  fishes  ;  the  teeth  are  here  seen  to  be  in  a  hne  fixed  in  regular 
sockets  in  the  jaw,  like  those  of  salmon  ;  the  jaw  is  beautifully  marked 
with  little  raised  dots  visible  under  an  ordinary  lens  ;  the  teeth  agree  with 
those  observed  by  Sir  Philip  M.  de  Egerton.  (See  Quarterly  Jour.  Geol. 
Soc,  Lond.,  1849.)  .     ,       ,    ,      n,, 

Fig  8  —This  specimen  was  discovered  by  me  m  the  shale  ot  the  new 
shaft  of  the  Albert  mines.  It  is  peculiarly  interesting  on  account  of  the 
entire  preservation  of  its  abdominal  fin,  and  also  on  account  of  its  associ- 
ation with  a  coprolite  which  seems  to  have  belonged  to  this  individual. 

Description.— Fish,  entire  ;  length,  3  7-10  inches  ;  width  of  t^e  body, 
7-lOths  of  an  inch ;  length  of  the  head,  equal  to  the  greatest  width  ot 
the  body :  fish,  four  diameters  of  its  body  in  length  ;  fins,  one  dorsal, 
opposite  anal,  situated  in  the  posterior,  third  of  body,— anal  fin  little 
larger  than  dorsal ;  abdominal  fin  small,  situated  a  little  m  advance  of  the 
middle  of  the  body  of  fish  ;  pectoral  fin  a  little  larger  than  abdominal ; 
scales,  large  and  brilliant,  having  a  light-brown  color  striated  parallel  to 
anterior  margins  transversely,  and  longitudinally  in  middle,  but  finer  than 
on  anterior  margins ;  tail,  more  regular  than  the  before-described  species, 
but  still  unequal ;  has  scales  in  upper  division.  This  specimen  also  pre- 
sents another  curious  feature;  its  tail  having  been  amputated  by  a  shift 
of  the  strata,  and  the  fracture  being  polished  and  re^cemented  a  httle  out 
of  place.     Head  more  acute  than  any  of  the  before-described  species,  and 


25 


very  perfectly  preserved,  having  tlio  fine  markm  ;s  of  the  gill  covers  and 
the  striae  and  markings  distinct,  and  also,  what  appears  to  be  the  imprespion 
of  the  tongue  of  the  fish.  The  orbitar  ring  is  also  preserved,  and  is  a 
horn-like  circle,  or  ring,  filled  with  bituminous  shale  or  clay.  A  coprolite 
under  the  abdomen  of  the  fish,  is  a  cylindrical  mass,  rounded  at  each 
end,  7-lOths  of  an  inch  long,  and  3-10th8  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It  is  of 
an  ash-gray  color,  and  includes  what  appears  to  be  small  black  scales  of 
fishes. 

FOSSIL  PLANTS  OF  THE  ALBERT  COAL  MINE. 

My  attention  was  so  much  occupied  by  the  fossil  fishes  of  this  interest- 
ing mine,  that  I  had  omitted  to  look  for  the  usual  coal  plants,  when  I  was 
suddenly  called  by  one  of  my  companions  to  look  at  an  impression  which 
he  had  found  in  splitting  a  piece  of  the  shale.  The  instant  I  saw  it  I 
recognized  it  as  a  perfect  stem  of  a  Lepidodendron,  a  well-known  plant  of 
the  coal  formation.  The  rock  with  the  fossil  plant  was  delivered  to  me, 
and  I  have  both  the  stem  and  the  imprint  in  the  rock  which  contains  it. 
This  fossil  rendered  any  further  search  into  the  geological  age  of  the  fish- 
bearing  rocks  of  the  mine  unnecessary ;  but  wishing  to  obtain  more  speci- 
mens, a  number  more  of  slabs  were  broken  open,  and  large^  expanded 
leaves,  resembling  a  species  of  palm,  or  a  plant  quite  common  in  the  coal 
formation  of  our  country,  were  found,  having  all  the  delicate  markings, 
cross  veins  or  bands,  and  other  characters  of  palm  leaves,  as  has  since 
been  shown  by  Mr.  Teschemacher. 

Three  specimens  of  this  plant  were  also  found  in  a  specimen  of  the 
shale,  which  I  obtained  on  my  first  visit  to  the  mine.  I  found  a  perfect 
Lepidostrobus,  a  fruit  of  the  Lepidodendron,  according  to  Brongniart. 
A  number  of  stems  of  plants  were  also  found,  and  some  of  them,  from 
their  forms  and  delicate  curves,  appeared  to  have  been  succulent  hollow 
stems,  or  aquatic  plants  of  some  kind.  These  have  proved  to  be  species 
of  Sphoeraedra.     [Lindley  Sf  Hutton,  Vol.  iii.,  PI.  159.) 

Accurate  drawings  convey  a  better  idea  of  the  form  and  character  of 
fossils  than  any  verbal  description,  and  therefore  I  must  refer  to  the 
accompanying  plate,  on  which  are  faithfully  delineated  ^me  of  my  fossil 
plants,  which  were  obtained  from  thk  coal  mine. 

Plate  III,  figures  1  and  2  represent  the  Lepidodendron  found  in  the 
shale  of  the  Albert  coal  mine.  Fig.  1  represents  the  stem  of  the  plant, 
with  its  carbonized  bark,  having  all  the  cortical  scales  which  a,re  so  cha- 
racteristic of  the  genus.  On  comparing  this  plant  with  the  Lepidodoidron 
gradle,  in  BrongniarVs  Historic  des  Vegeiaux  Fossiles^  Vol.  ii.,  Plate  15, 
I  feel  no  doubt  of  its  close  analogy  with  that  species,  which  is  a  well- 
known  plant  of  the  coal  formation. 

Figures  3  and  3  bis.  represent  the  Lepidostrobus  found  by  me  in  the 
shale  of  the  Albert  coal  mine.  Fig.  3  is  the  fruit  in  relief,  and  3_bis.  is 
the  counter-print  in  the  rock  split  from  it.  It  is  difiScult  to  identify  the 
species  by  comparison  with  Brongniart's  drawings  ;  but  no  one  who  com- 
pares it  with  the  species  of  Lepidostrobus,  in  his  plates,  (Tome  ii..  Plates 
22,  23  and  24,)  will  have  any  doubt  of  its  belonging  to  that  genus.  It 
is  probably  the  fruit  of  the  Lepidodendron  gracile,  above-mentioned. 
Figures  4  and  5  represent  Sphoerjedra  of  the  Albert  mine. 


r*i 


26 


I 
I 


Fieure   6  represents  our  palin-likc  leaf.     It  is  too  wide  to  bo  the 
leaf  of  a  Lepidodendron.     Further  researches  may  decide  this  question 
I  have  Lepidodendra,  with  their  beautiful  foliage    from  the  shales  of 
the  coal  mines  on  the  Grand  Lake,  upon  the   St.  John  K^ver    very 
closely  resembling  the  plant  figured  in   Brongmart^s   Vegetaux  Fosnle^, 
(Tome  ii    PI.  17,  Fig.  1  ;)  but  none  of  the  leaves  have  a  width  of  more 
than  half  an  inch,  while  these  arc  more  than  two  inches  wide      1  have 
before  alluded  to  these  palm-like  leaves,  so  cbaractenstic  of  the  coa^ 
formation,  a  fact  that  no  one  who  is  competent  to  decide  will  presume  to 
deny,  for  they  arc  common  in  all  our  coal-fields,  from  Cape  Breton  to 
Virginia,  both  in  the  bituminous  and  anthracite  coal  shales.     Instead  of 
objecting  to  the  rocks  of  the  Albert  coal  mine    as  being  poor  m  fo3sil 
plants,  I  would  rather  express  my  surprise  at  finding  them  at  aU,  con- 
sideriu'T  that  the  abundance  of  fossil  fishes  in  those  shales  mdicates  that 
the  coal  was  formed  in  the  bed  of  a  lake,  estuary,  or  sluggish  strea-m 
Plants  will  doubtless  be  found  more  abundant,  as  we  approach,  by  mining 
operations,  the  shores  of  this  ancient  basin,  and  there  may  be  found  niore 
abundantly  the  fossils  of  ferns,  stems  of  stigmaria  and  sigiUana,  such  as 
occur  in  the  neighboring  coal-fields  of  Nova  Scotia,  within  fifteen  miles 

of  this  new  coal  mine.  ,  .     . 

The  sandstones,  I  suppose,  were  the  bars  and  sandy  shores  of  the  ancient 
basm,  in  which  the  coal  was  formed,  and  if  delicate  fossils  were  as  well 
preserved  in  sand  as  in  clay,  we  should  doubtless  find  them  richer  in  their 
flora  than  the  more  richly  endowed  and  conservative  clayey  shales. 

I  come  now  to  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter,  by  deciding  that  the 
Albert  coal  mine  is  in  the  true  coal  formation,  and  the  rocks  being  accom- 
Danied  with  the  most  indisputable  evidence  of  the  coal  fishes  and  the 
coal  plants,  which  alone  would  settle  this  question,  if  we  had  not  abundant 
stratigraph  cal  proofs  of  the  same  fact,  which  are  everywhere  extant  around 
the  mine,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  I  also  declare  that  the  fossil 
fuel  obtained  from  this  mine  is  a  highly  bituminous  coal,  suitable  toi  tlie 
production  of  gas  for  illumination,  and  for  flaming  fires,  and  that  it  ts  not 
S;S:,  and'wiU  not  serve  as  any  substitute  for  it  -  the  Art.,  i^^^^^^ 
incapable  of  fusion  by  heat,  and  not  appUcable  to  any  of  t^e  purposes  tor 
which  asphaltum  is  usually  sold  in  the  commercial  markets  of  the  woild. 

The  foUoTing  contrasts  of  the  characters  of  asphaltum  and  of  the 
Albert  coal,  uet  in  a  clear  light  the  characteristic  differences  between 
^em    Ever;  one  of  the  experiments  has  been  faithfully  performed  by  me. 

.1     r.     7    c.         Coal  from    the    Albert   Mines,   of 
Asphaltum   from  the  Dead  ^ea —         —.A,      .   ,^  ^     ,,..-_.j  i..  ™., 


from    Cuba,    (Chapapote,)    and. 
from  Trinidad. 


HiUsboro\  N.  B.,  obtained  by  my- 
self at  the  mine,  May  and  /ttnc, 
1851. 


Reduced  to  fine  powder,  and 
spread  on  a  sheet  of  metal,  and 
heated  to  400^  F.,  melts  and  runs 
into  a  perfectly  fluid  mass,  boiling 
rapidly  as  the  temperature  rises,  ^^^.^j,^  ^„.. 
and  giving  off  a  vast  quantity  of )  ^ot  soften, 
volatile  matter  and  smoke. 


Reduced  to  fine  powder,  and 
spread  on  a  sheet  of  metal,  and 
heated  to  400«  F.,  no  change 
whatever  takes  place.  It  docs  not 
melt,  run  or  smoke  at  all,  and  docs 


27 


At  a  tcmpcraturo  of  600°  ^-j  ^* 
is  decomposed  with  great  ebullition 
and  rapid  diacngagcni  ont  of  smoke. 


In  mass,  at  a  temperature  of  300*^ 
F.,  it  melts  and  runs  ;  at  700<^  the 
asphaltum  is  entirely  decomposed. 


In  boiling  water  asphaltum  softens 
and  becomes  plastic,  and  adheres  to 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel.  It  gives 
off  naphtha. 


At  600*  it  does  not  decompose 
at  all,  nor  does  it  melt  at  any  tem- 
perature, but  decomposes  at  a  red 
heat,  without  fusion,  or  running  to- 
gether at  all. 


At  aOO''  no  change  ;  at  700"=>  it 
begins  to  soften  a  little,  and  becomes 
like  Newcastle  coal,  soft,  or  ce- 
ments, and  then  at  a  red  heat  de- 
composes and  forms  coke. 


Dropped  on  to  melted  tin,  which 
has  a  temperature  of  442*^  F.,  it 
is  immediately  melted  and  decom- 
posed, with  copious  fumes. 


When  dropped  upon  molten  lead, 
which  has  a  temperature  of  612®  F., 
it  instantly  melts  and  decomposes, 
with  a  great  sputtering,  floating  on 
the  surface  of  the  lead,  and  boiling 
rapidly,  giving  out  thick  and  dense 
smoke  and  fumes. 


Dropped  into  melted  zinc,  which 
has  a  temperature  of  700*  F.,  it 
decomposes  instantly,  giving  off  a 
dense  smoke. 


Asphaltum  is  readily  melted  in  a 
ladle,  and  can  be  poured  out  like  tar 
or  molten  pitch. 


In  boiling  water  the  Albert  coal 
undergoes  no  change,  and  remains 
as  brittle  as  ever.  It  does  not  give 
off  any  naphtha^ 


Melts,  and  runs,  and  drops,  in  a 
liquid  state,  when  placed  in  the  flame 
of  a  candle  or  lamp,  so  that  it  re- 
quires some  management  to  set  a 
lump  of  it  on  fire,  so  as  to  keep  it 
burning  when  removed  from  the 
flame,  the  heat  of  the  lamp  causing 
it  to  drop. 


Dropped  upon  melted  tin,  it  does 
not  melt  or  undergo  any  change 
whatsoever,  and  when  held  beneath 
the  molten  metal  it  does  not  melt, 
nor  give  off  any  volatile  matter,  nor 
even  soften. 


Albert  coal,  dropped  into  molten 
lead,  does  not  melt,  and  even  when 
plunged  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
molten  metal,  and  held  there  by 
forceps,  it  does  not  decompose  nor 
yield  any  gaseous  or  volatile  matters, 
or  smoke  in  the  least. 


Dropped  into  melted  zinc,  Albert 
coal  does  not  melt  nor  decompose. 
Held  under  the  molten  metal,  by 
means  of  forceps,  it  becomes  elastic, 
and  softens  like  Newcastle  coal,  but 
does  not  give  out  any  gas  or  smoke. 


Albert  coal  cannot  be  melted  in  a 
ladle,  and  poured  out.  In  a  confined 
place,  as  in  a  crucible,  with  steep 
sides,  or  in  a  thimble,  the  Albert 
coal  swells  and  cements,  but  does 
not  melt  and  run. 


In  the  fl&me  of  a  candle  or  lamp, 
the  Albert  coal  takes  fire,  but  does 
not  melt  and  drop,  and  can  be  burnt 
to  coke  on  the  under  side,  without 
any  dropping  from  heat  of  the  flame 
after  removal  from  the  lamp. 


28 


Diasolvcs  readily  in  naphtha. 


DocH  not  dissolve  in  naphtha,  but 
only  yields,  at  the  most,  5  83-100 
nor  cent,  of  its  bitumen,  when  heated 
in  that  fluid  for  some  days. 


Dissolves  instantly  and  entirely  in 
benzole  and  in  oil  of  turpentine  and 
in  chloroform. 


Yields  resin  to  alcohol  and  ether. 


Is  commercially  employed,  on  ac- 
count of  its  ready  fusibility  and 
solubility,  and  is  used  for  cement 
and  for  varnishes. 


Yields,  at  the  most,  from  fourteen 
to  twenty  per  cent,  of  its  bitumen 
to  all  these  solvents,  and  the  86  or 
80  per  cent,  of  matter  remaininf];  is 
entirely  insoluble  in  all  li(iuid  hydro- 
carbons. 


Melts,  and  runs  immediately 
through  the  grate  bars,  so  that  it 
cannot  be  employed  as  fuel,  and 
cannot  be  burnt  as  a  coal. 


Docs  not  yield  resin  to  alcohol  or 
ether. 


Is  commonly  used  for  coal,  and  in 
gas  works  is  employed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  bi-carbureted  hydrogen 
gas  for  illumination. 

Is  not  fusible,  hence  cannot  be 
used  like  asphaltum  for  cement,  and 
yields  so  little  soluble  matter  as  to 
be  of  no  commercial  value  in  the 
making  of  varnishes,  and  cannot  be 
sold  in  the  market  as  asphaltum, 
without  fraud. 


Does  not  melt  or  run  through  the 
grate  bars,  but  burns  freely,  like 
hif^hly  bituminous  or  fat  coal,  form- 
ing a  spongy  coke,  that  cakes  readily, 
and  after  the  bitumen  is  burnt  up 
the  coke  burns,  like  that  of  New- 
castle coal. 


Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  T.  JACKSON,  M.  D., 

Assayer  to  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  S^c.  8fc. 


State  Assayer's  Office, 
Boston  J  Sejit.  27th,  1851 


J 


Note  — W.  C.  Redfield  Esq.,  of  xNew-York,  on  examining  my  fossil  fishes  from  the  Al- 
beS Tal  mine,  dedares  his  conviction  that  they  are  fi.hes  of  the  coal  fo™f  ^'"n-  Mj;  Ked- 
field  is  weU  kiJown  as  a  gentleman  well  acquainted  with  the  fossil  fishes  of  America. 


29 


Plan  of  Level  .Vw  «,  Surneyedhy  V.  T.  Jurkfitn,  June  Gfh,  IRiil. 


COPY  OF  DR.  ABRAHAM  GESNER'S  LETTER  TO  DR.  JACKSON, 

nFFF.RRF.n   TO   ON    FOURTH    PAGE. 

Halifaa;  HJth  March,  1851. 
Dear  Sir  :— I  bad  taken  the  liberty  to  republish  your  analysis  of  the  New 
Brunswick  asphaltum,  Tvith  that  of  Dr.  Chilton,  and  others,  because  it  agreed  so 
nearly  with  the  vioww  of  English  and  Scotch  chemista  and  geologists,  who  had 
visited  the  deposit.  Dr.  Chilton  has  subscribed  since  to  a  certiticatc  directly 
contrary  to  his  first  one,  and  I  have  deemed  it  but  duo  to  you,  as  wel  as  to  Pro- 
fessor liobband  others,  to  nmUo  my  acknowledgements  to  your  superior  discern- 
ment and  ability.  Being  the  proprietor  of  the  asphaltum  mines,  1  have  not  that 
interest  in  the  question  some  have  supposed,  whether  the  material  is  either  one. 
or  the  other,  namely  co:il  or  asphaltum  ;  my  title  does  not   altogether  rest  upon 

I^send^you  the  papers  I  have  written  upon  the  subject,  merely  for  the  purpose 
of  introducing  the  local  facta  that  might  not  reach  you  through  any  other  aource, 
and  I  may  find  it  necessary  hereafter  to  solicit  your  services  to  explore  the 
district,  to  establish  the  character  of  the  rocks  in  which  the  asphaltum  is  found 
As  soon  ns  the  vessels  begin  their  trips,  I  will  send  you  some  of  the  naphtha  an. 
petroleura.associated  with  the  compact  material,  and  I  can  only  add  that  it  will 
afford  me  much  pleasure  to  aid  your  inquiries  in  this  quarter,  and  to  promote 
your  interests  in  these  provinces.  I  write  under  heavy  domestic  affliction, 
which  it  has  pleased  God  to  lay  upon  me,  and  trust  that  you  will  make  every 
allowance  for  this  mode  of  introduction. 

I  am.  dear  sir.  very  truly,  respectfully  yo^Bj^^HAM  GESNER. 

CiTARi.KS  T.  Jackson,  M.  D., 

Professor  of  Chemisinj,  §-c.  ^'c. 

P.  .S.  Since  writing  the  above.  I  have  found  a  small  piece  of  petroleum  ^om 
the  place,  and  beg  to  send  it  herewith.  A.  U. 

*\oTK  nv  Pr  ni.TSHEns.-ln  reforcnoe  to  this  assumption,  it  ia  only  necessary  to  state 
that  r  '  Co'ner    o  d."a  en-o  of  fonr  acre«  of  land,   ^^  except  and  remved,  "^r'J,?^^ '  ;•' 

fr Vouv,,  all  coal,,  awl  aho  all  <^dd  and  silver,  and  other  "'»«ff  "'l!""';'';''„  „,f,'^^7„?^^ 
F  ilii-on  Cairn-  and  othrr-..  !i<>!d  .-  lieen«e  from  tho  Crown.  "  to  work  any  inines  ot  go  .1, 
e^lVer  oopper  platina  coal,  or  other  mineral  of  any  and  every  doscnpUon,'-  «nd  aI^o 

the  land  K  hi  fS  a.ljoinin«  the  al  ove  four  acre.,  beneath  which  th«  dopo«t  is  sup- 
Xat"ex-i't  [SeothVHon.  the  Mnster  of  Roih"  decision,  adverse  to  Ur.  Gesner,  ^d 
ApriM8o1.J 


I 


30 

RICHARD  C.  TAYLOR,  ESQ.,  OF  PHILADELPHIA, 

Geological  and  Mining  Engine,,;  cml  Aut/wr  of  ^^  Statistks  of  Coal;' 
testified  at  Dorchester,  N.  B.,  as  follows  :— 

"  To  melt  is  one  of  the  dlHtinguisliing  features  of  asplialt."  ''As  a 
Geologist,  I  would  mt  pmwmm  a  suhstaim  v^hich  would  refuse  to  meU 
vyon  iron,  heated  to  600'^  P.,  to  U  asphallim:'  . 

"I  found  no  soft  liquid  or  brown-colored  Bubstanco,  OJ-  springs  oj 
naphtha  or  petroleum,  at  the  Albert  mine  or  near  it.  1  looked  pr  them 
in  the  mine  and  its  vicinity,  but  found  nouo.  ./  did  exped  to  find  them  m 
the  Albert  mint.'''' 


REPORT  OF  DR.  JOHN  BACON,  Jr's.,  MICROSCOPIC  EXA- 
]\HNATION  OF  THE  HILLSBORO'  COAL. 

Boston,  Nov.  3d,  18.51. 

Edward  Allison,  Esq.  : 

Bear  Sir  ;^As  tbe  result  of  my  Microscopic  Examination  of  the  Hills- 
boro'  Coal,  I  am  able  to  report  the  existence  of  vegetable  structtire  in  the 
interior  of  the  masses.  The  specimens  examined  were  taken  by  myself 
from  a  barrel  of  coal  in  the  laboratory  of  Dr.  Chs.  T.  Jackson,  stated  by 
him  to  be  from  the  Albert  Mine,  in  Hillsboro',  N.  B. 

Sections  of  the  coal  were  ground  sufficiently  thin  to  allow  light  to  pass 
through  them,  and  carefully  polished.  Some  of  these  exhibit,  under 
the  microscope,  contorted  fibrous  tissue,  enclosing  cells,  and  penetrated 
by  numerous  apertures,  approaching  a  circular  form,  which  appear  to 
be  transverse  sections  of  vessels.  Others  show  elongated  cells  or  ves- 
sels, ranged  side  by  side.  These  tissues  occm-  in  patches  not  sufficiently 
extensive  or  continuous  to  enable  me  to  form  a  positive  opinion  in  regard 
to  the  nature  of  the  plants  to  which  they  belong. 

It  is  always  a  matter  of  difficulty  to  detect  microscopic  structure  m 
bituminous  coal,  as  the  vegetable  tissues  are  usually  obliterated,  more  or 
less  completely  ;  but  the  evidence  of  structure  in  the  Hillsboro'  specimens 
are  abundantly  sufficient  to  prove  that  the  substance  is  coal,  and  not 
ashphaltum. 

Respectfully  yours, 

JOHN  BACON,  Jr. 


*« 


REPORT  ON  GEOLOGICAL  RELATIONS 

OF  COAL  MINE  IN  HILLSBORO% 

BY  DR.  J.  G.  PERCIVAL,  GEOLOGIST, 


OF  NEW  HAVEN,  CONN. 


I] 


In  the  following  fltatement,  I  confine  myself  to  the  aeological  relations 
of  the  subject  in  question,  and  to  a  few  of  its  more  obvious  characters, 
without  touching  on  its  specific  chemical  properties,  or  on  the  specifio 
characters  of  the  fossils  in  the  accompanying  rocks ;  such  specific  chemical 
properties  and  fossil  characters  have  been  referred  to  Dr.  0.  T.  Jackson. 

After  an  examination  of  the  mine,  and  the  immediately  accompanymg 
rocks,  as  well  as  the  rocks  in  the  vicinity  ;  and  after  testing  the  substance 
by  the  action  of  heat  and  combustion,  in  connexion  with  different  speci- 
mens of  asphaltum,— I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  this  substance 
in  question  is  a  coal,  and  not  am,  asphaltum.  The  immediately  accompa- 
nying rock  is  a  brown  bituminous  and  calcareous  shale,  partly  thm,  and 
partly  thick  and  more  calcareous,  with  interposed  barjds  and  nodules  or 
balls  of  limestone  and  ironstone,  with  iron  pyrites  in  seams  or  disseminated, 
with  fossil  fishes  and  fish-scales  and  teeth,  in  some  parts  abundant,  m 
others  less  so,  and  with  occasional  distinct  remains  of  plants,  and  a  few 
distinct  points  of  charcoal  lignite.  The  surface  of  the  layers  i8  generaUy 
smooth  and  glossy,  particularly  in  the  waUs  of  the  mine,  and  occasional 
layers  occur,  composed  of  very  thin  shelly  fragments,  still  more  smooth 
and  glossy,  and  readily  decomposing  into  a  soft  clay.  Such  a  shale,  com- 
posed of  very  small  fragments,  I  have  sometimes  found  forming  a  thm 
stratum  between  the  coal  and  the  adjacent  thicker  shale.  The  shale  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  coal-bed  is,  on  the  whole,  thicker  and  more  calcareous 
and  bituminous,  than  at  points  mo.e  remote  in  a  lateral  direction,  but  at 
an  excavation  in  the  direction  of  the  bed  towards  the  north-east,  made  by 
Mr  Foulis,  the  shales  are  nearly  or  quite  as  bituminous  as  at  the  mine, 
and  abound  in  similar  fossils.  In  tracing  the  bed  of  the  streams  near  the 
mine,  I  found,  as  I  receded  from  the  mine,  interposed  thm  beds  ot  blue 
limestone  and  gray  fine-grained  sandstone  or  grit.  _ 

In  examining  the  country  east  and  south-east  of  the  mme,  towards  the 
Peticodiac  River,  I  observed  first  a  dark-brown  conglomerate,  apparently 
deriving  its  color  from  the  matter  of  the  shale,  which  I  judge,  from  its 
position  and  dip,  as  compared  with  the  eastern  border  of  the  shale,  as  far 
as  observed,  to  overUe  the  shale.  The  shale,  which  I  last  observed  m 
place  in  that  direction,  had  a  moderate  dip  (about  15")  easterly.     The 


82 

conglomerate,  where  observed  nearest  the  shale,  and  at  no  great  distance, 
is  on  higher  ground  than  the  shale,  and  with  the  same  dip.  Hence  1 
conclude  it  probable,  although  the  junction  of  the  two  rocks  has  not  been 
there  observed,  that  the  conglomerate  overlies  the  shale  (Since  writing 
the  above  I  have  been  able  to  observe  the  junction  of  the  shale  and  con- 
glomerate, in  a  ravine  on  the  south  side  of  the  ridge,  north  of  Frederick 
Brook,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  west  of  the  mine.  The  shale  there  dips 
under  the  conglomerate  ;  the  two  rocks  being  separated  by  a  narrow  bed 
of  fine-grained  sandstone,  with  which  the  shale  is  there  also  interstratified. 
The  same  irregularities  in  direction  and  dip  occur  there  in  the  shale,  as  m 
other  locaUties  noticed,  and  it  finally  dips  with  its  sandstone  under  the  con- 
glomerate, at  a  moderate  angle  north-west.  At  one  pomt  in  the  ravine 
the  shale  includes  very  thin  seams  of  coal,  similar  to  a  coal  in  a  similar 
shale,  in  simUar  very  thin  seams,  at  a  locality  two  or  three  miles  south- 
west of  the  mine  (Martin's).  At  that  locality,  the  coal  is  regularly 
interstratified  in  even  layers  in  the  shale  ;  at  the  ravine  it  occurs  m  seams 
interposed  in  a  fragmentary  shale.) 

Further  easterly,  towards  the  Peticodiac,  the  conglomerate  is  succeeded 
by  an  overlying  friable  and  decomposible  argillaceous  red  sandstone,  with 
interstratified  beds  of  gray  sandstone  or  grit.     This  band  of  red  sandstone 
appears  to  me,  from  its  position  and  direction,  to  molude  the  deposits  ot 
f^psum  at  the  Whitehead  and  vicinity,  and  at  the  Demoiselle  River,  near 
Wilson's.     The  red  sandstone  and  gypsum,  at  the  first-mentioned  locality, 
are  underlaid  by  a  bed  of  blue  limestone,  resting  on  a  brown  conglomerate, 
resembling  that  approaching  the  shale  of  the  mine.     This  limestone  and 
conglomerate  may  be  traced  to  the  hill  west  of  the  Peticodiac,  just  north 
of  Mr.  W.  Cairns'  residence ;  the  gypsum  being  found  m  the  hill  next  west. 
In  proceeding  easterly  from  the  mine,  the  red  sandstone  is  overlaid  by  a 
coarse  light-brown  conglomorute,  with  interposed  beds  of  gray  sandstone, 
which  forms  the  summits  of  the  hUls  to  the  banks  of  the  Peticodiac,  the 
red  sandstone  appearing  in  the  vc  ilejs.     On  the  bank  of  the  river,  at  the 
two  points  south  of  the  coal  wharf,  the  overlying  rocks  appear  m  an  order 
correspo.^ding  to  that  just  stated ;  but  by  an  apparent  deflexion  in  their 
course,  the  dip  is  southerly  (about  S.  S.  B.  ;)  a  darker  brown  conglom- 
erate appearing  at  the  ba.iG  in  the  north  point,  overlaid  by  the  friable  red 
sandstone  with  an  included  bed  of  gray  sandstone,  and  this  by  the  hght- 
brown  conglomerate  with  its  beds  of  gray  sandstone,  while  in  tlie  south 
point,  there  occur,  from  the  southerly  dip,  only  the  upper  part  of  the  red 
sandstone,  and  the  light-brown  conglomerate,  as  above .    In  the  upper  light- 
brown  conglomerate  and  its  gray  sandstone,  at  least  at  the  south  point, 
are  found  large  and  distinct  fossil  plants  of  the  coal  formation  (jomted 
calamites,  and  other  reed-like  plants,  such  as  everywhere  occur  in  the 
true  coal  formation  of  this  country,)  accompanied  with  .ther  smaller  more 
fla<r-like  fossils,  also  found  in  the  same  geological  localities.     These  smaller 
plants  are  found  in  great  abundance  in  the  bed  of  gray  sandstone  included, 
at  the  north  point,  in  the  underlying  red  sandstone,  particularly  in  certam 
thinner  more  slaty  layers  of  that  rock,  and  at  the  south  point,  in  similar 
layers  of  ffrav  sandstone,  included  in  the  upper  conglomerate  ;  thus  indi- 
cating that  tlie  whole  series  of  beds,  at  those  points,  belongs  to  the  coai 
formation.     In  the  shales  of  the  mine,  both  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  as 
well  as  more  remote  from  it,  flag-like  plants  are  found,  quite  similar  to 
those  accompanying  the  gray  sandstone  last  mentioned,  from  which  it  may 


83 


iistance, 
Hence  I 
not  been 
e  writing 
and  con- 
'rederick 
lere  dips 
rrow  bed 
itratified. 
ale,  as  in 
the  con- 
be  ravine 
a  similar 
es  south- 
regularly 
in  seams 

lucceeded 
;one,  with 
sandstone 
epodits  of 
iver,  near 
i  locality, 
;lomerate, 
stone  and 
just  north 
next  west, 
rlaid  by  a 
landstone, 
odiac,  the 
er,  at  the 
1  an  order 
m  in  their 

uonglom- 
riable  red 
the  light- 
the  south 
of  the  red 
pper  light- 
uth  point, 
(U  (jointed 
cur  in  the 
lallor  more 
sse  smaller 
3  included, 

in  certain 
,  in  similar 

thus  indi- 
Lo  the  coal 
vicinity,  as 
;  similar  to 
lich  it  may 


be  inferred  that  those  shales  are  of  the  coal  formation.  I  do  not  refer  to 
the  fishes  of  those  shales  as  also  leading  to  the  same  conclusion.  I  will 
only  state,  that  Dr.  Jackson,  sustained  by  Prof.  H.  D.  Rogers,  has  deter- 
mined them  to  be  fishes  of  the  coal  formation.  I  thus  feel  myself  war- 
ranted in  concluding  that  the  mine  is  situated  within  the  coal  formation. 

I  will  now  proceed  to  consider  the  mine  ii^elf,  in  order  to  determine 
whether  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  bed  of  deposit,  or  of  an  injected  mass. 
The  direction  of  the  principal  and  least  disturbed  part  of  the  bed  is  N.  E., 
with  little  variation  ;  the  prevailing  dip  'S  N.  W.,  at  a  very  large  angle 
(75°-80° :)  the  N.  W.  side  may  thus  be  considered  as  forming  the  roof; 
the  S.  E.  side,  the  floor  of  the  bed.     On  entering  the  mine  at  Dufiy's  level, 
Ihe  first  impression  is  that  it  is  a  highly  inclined  bed,  with  parallel  walls  ; 
the  two  sides,  Wucre  first  observed  together,  being  nearly  conformable,  with 
the  prevailing  N.  W.  dip.  As  we  proceed,  irregiUarities  occur,  particularly 
on  the  S.  E.  side  ;  the  N.  W.  side  apparently  preserving  its  N.  W.  dip  with 
greater  regularity :  still  the  general  appearance  of  a  bed  continues  ;  the 
S.  E.  wall,  though  often  showing  a  S.  E.  dip,  still  returning  again  to  the 
N.  W.,  and  though  occasionally  changing  its  direction,  yet  resuming  con- 
tinually its  proper  course  north-easterly.     On  proceeding  into  the  lower 
levels,  and  traversing  the  more  regular  portion  of  the  bed,  which  forms 
much  the  largest  part  of  it,  the  same  impression  remained  in  my  mind,  of  a 
bed  highly  elevated,  and  consequently  much  disturbed.     In  descending, 
the  bed  widens  very  considerably  in  its  middle  portion,  but  again  contracts 
towards  the  lowest  level ;  the  sides  at  first  diverging,  most  so  on  the  S.  E. 
side,  and  again  approaching  by  a  change  in  the  dip  on  both  sides,  the  S.  E. 
side   dipping  from  S.  E.  toN.  W.,  and  the  N.  W.  side  from  N.  W.  to 
S.  E. ;  the  greater  change,  however,  occurring  on  the  S.  E.  side,  as  usual. 
This  enlargement  of  the  bed  appears  thus  to  have  been  the  efiect,  not  of 
a  rupture,  and  anticlinal  displacement,  by  a  force  from  beneath,  but  of  a 
bulging  of  the  bed  in  that  part  of  it,  more  particularly  on  the  S.  E.  side. 
The  bed,  after  this  enlargement,  contracts,  not  only  in  its  descent,  but  also 
in  the  direction  of  its  length ;  the  walls,  as  we  proceed  N.  E.,  becoming, 
in  the  narrower  part  of  the  bed,  much  more  regular,  and  nearly  or  quite 
conformable,  in  a  position  nearly  vertical.     The  bed  then  narrows  quito 
abruptly,  extending  as  a  vein  one  to  two  feet  wide,  in  its  usual  N.  E.  direc- 
tion between  the  strata,  but  has  not  there  been  excavated.     At  this  point 
occurs  a  remarkable  shift  or  fault,  crossing  the  strata  obliquely  N.  N.  W., 
by  which  the  coal  passes,  first  in  a  very  narrow  seam,  which  then  expands 
gradually,  and  resumes  nearly  its  former  N.  E.  direction  between  the 
strata,  again  bulging  out,  and  arching  over  towards  the  S.  E.     In  this 
direction  it  continues  some  distance,  and  again  narrows  abruptly  in  a 
L.'/  de  sac,  formed  by  an  overarching  of  the  strata,  and  then  extends,  on 
its  S.  E.  side,  in  a  narrow  vein,  between  the  strata,  which  has  been  ex- 
cavated to  some  distance,  without  showing  any  enlargement.  From  obstruc- 
tions in  the  S.  W.  part  of  the  mine,  I  have  not  been  able  to  examine  it 
in  that  direction.     In  the  main  body  of  the  mine,  where  it  extends  north- 
easterly, between  the  strata,  there  appear,  at  intervals,  along  the  walls,  in 
some  parts  more  frequently,  in  others  less  so,  protruding  ends  of  apparently 
fractured  strata,  called  onsets  by  the,  miners,  against  which  the  coal  is  im- 
mediately applied.     It  has  appeared  to  mo  a  remarkable  circumstauce,  that 
with  very  few  exceptions,  and  those  but  slightly  marked,  the  ends  of  these 
strata  point  on  both  sides  of  the  bod  in  the  same  direction  towards  the  south ; 


84 

on  the  S.  B.  side,  S.  W. ;  on  the  N.  W.  side,  S.  B. ;  and  that  they  occnr  more 
frequently  on  the  S.  B.  side.    If  the  walls  had  been  raptured  and  separated, 
we  might  expect  one  wall  to  correspond  to  the  other ;  the  N.  W.  wall  ejji- 
biting  ends  pointing  N.  E.,  toward  the  ends  on  the  S.  E.  waU  pointmg  S.  W. ; 
or  if  ihev  did  not  correspond  so  directly  opposite  each  other,  yet  at  a 
distance  measured  by  the  extent  of  the  shift  or  fault ;  but  m  tracmg  the 
walls  to  a  much  greater  distance,  I  could  not  perceive  any  such  corres- 
pondence.   In  some  instances  I  observed  the  strata  formmg  the  wall  of  the 
bed  on  the  S.  W.  of  these  onsets,  terminating  with  their  ends  butting  agamst 
the  sides  of  the  out-turned  strata  ;.  the  latter,  as  it  were,  dippmg  into  the 
walls  obliquely  in  an  E.  S.  E.  to  E.  N.  E.  direction,  and  the  ends  of  the 
former,  as  it' were,  pressed  against  their  sides,  so  as  to  be  turned  m 
towards  the  bed,  while  the  out-turned  strata  agam,  by  a  sudden  flexure, 
were  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  walls ;  the  whole  presentmg  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  stratum  broken  across,  and  bent  out  abruptly  on  the  iS.  h. 
Bide,  and  the  S.  W.  portion  pressed  against  it,  as  if  by  a  force  acting  from 
that  du-ection.    In  other  instances  the  strata  appear  to  have  been  merely 
bent,  without  fracture,  or  with  only  a  simple  fissure  at  the  flexure  ;  form- 
ing protuberances  on  the  walls,  as  if  the  latter  had  been  wrinkled  by  a 
protruding  force.    Other  oncasts  appear  to  be  nodules  projecting  from  the 
walls,  either  of  limestone  or  ironstone,  such  as  frequently  occur  in  the  shales 
on  the  surface,  or  in  the  other  excavations  (the  new  shaft  and  the  water 
level),  and  in  one  instance  which  I  examined,  of  the  bituminous  shale, 
quite  filled  with  small  irregularly  intersecting  veins  of  calcareous  spar. 
These  nodules  lie  across  and  interrupt  the  strata  of  the  shale,  wherever 
they  occur,  as  well  as  the  coal,  when  they  project  from  the  walls  of  the 
bed     I  cannot  say  that  more  of  these  nodules  or  concretions  (particularly 
of  i-onstone)  occur  on  the  S.  E.  lower  side  than  on  the  other,  though 
I  have  observed  more  on  that  side,  and  such  is  also  the  remark  of  Mr. 
Brown,  the  manager ;  which,  if  true,  would  correspond  with  the  more 
usual  position  of  the  ironstone  in  coal-beds.     Balls  or  nodules  of  ironstone 
are  remarkable  features  of  coal-fields,  and  such  occur  not  unfrequently  m 
the  shales  of  this  mine.     Another  circumstance  in  the  mine  has  appeared 
to  me  worthy  of  notice,  namely,  the  soft  smooth  glazmg  which  is  spread 
over  the  walls,  even  over  the  apparently  fractured  ends  of  the  strata,  and 
in  many  instances,  a  thin  layer  of  a  very  thin  and  small  fragmentary 
clayey  shale,  highly  glazed  and  usually,  though  preserving  its  form,  softened 
into  a  fine  clay,  interposed  between  the  coal  and  the  thicker  shale  ;  all 
this  apparently  indicating  that  the  bed  assumed  its  present  form  in  a  soft 
aqueous  condition,  and  not  in  consequence  of  a  rupture  of  rocks  already 
consolidated  with  injection  of  a  substance  fused  by  heat.     The  very 
numerous,  often  even  minute  flexures  and  contortions,  and  larger  over- 
archinffs,  in  the  bounding  shales,  also  appear  to  me  to  indicate  such  a  soft 
unoon^lidated  condition.   As  I  have  before  observed,  the  greatest  appear- 
ance of  direct  fracture  and  injection  occurs  at  the  shift  or  fault.     In  exam- 
ining the  shales  in  the  neighboring  streams,  similar  irregularities  are  ob- 
Berved  in  them,  which  would  seem  equally  to  require  rupture  and  injection. 
Nodular  bands  of  limestone  and  ironstone  are  seen  running  between  the 
strata,  then  crossing  them,  and  then  resuming  their  fonuer  course     Similar 
appearances  occur  in  the  shales  alone.     In  one  instance,  a  band  of  thick 
hard  even  shale  crossed  the  bed  of  Frederick  Brook,  directly  intersecting, 
nearly  at  right  angles,  a  bed  of  very  thin  wavy  shale.    The  remarkable 


85 


inr  more 
parated, 
all  exhi- 
gS.W.; 
yet  at  a 
,cing  the 
I  corres- 
ill  of  the 
g  against 
into  the 
Is  of  the 
iirned  in 
flexure, 
;  the  ap- 
he  N.  E. 
ting  from 
n  merely 
0  ;  form- 
led  by  a 
from  the 
he  shales 
the  water 
us  shale, 
ous  spar, 
wherever 
Us  of  the 
irticularly 
p,  though 
rk  of  Mr. 
the  more 
ironstone 
juently  in 
appeared 
is  spread 
trata,  and 
igmentary 
L,  softened 
shale  ;  all 
Q  in  a  soft 
£3  already 
The  very 
rger  over- 
such  a  soft 
!st  appear- 
In  cxam- 
es  are  ob- 
[  injection, 
jtween  the 
3.    isimilar 
id  of  thick 
itersccting, 
remarkable 


overarchings  at  the  N.  E.  end  of  the  mine,  find  their  parallel  in  the  shales 
remote  from  the  coal-bed.     In  the  water  level,  driven  on  the  N.  W.  side 
of  the  bed,  nearly  a  hundred  feet  towards  it,  there  commences,  near  its 
entrance,  such  an  overarching,  forming  a  regular  vault  nearly  the  whole 
length  of  the  level,  which  bears  about  East,  the  strata  at  its  present  ex- 
tremity turning  towards  the  N.  E.  and  rising  into  a  dip  corresponding  to 
the  prevailing  dip  of  the  mine  ;  thus  corresponding  to  the  arch  over  the  ml 
de  sac  at  the  N.  E.  end  of  the  mine,  and  to  its  rising  into  the  regular  course 
of  the  bed,  along  the  small  interstratified  vein,  in  which  it  is  there  conti- 
nued.   These  instances  show  that  the  peculiar  irregularities  of  the  coal-bed 
are  not  confined  to  it,  but  extend  widely  through  the  accompanying  shales. 
I  have  already  observed  that  the  shale  on  its  E.  side  apparently  dips  east 
by  a  moderate  dip,  under  an  overlying  conglomerate.    In  a  section  of  the 
shale  in  the  side  of  the  road  leading  to  the  mine,  it  has  at  first  that  dip,  then 
very  gradually  arches  over  to  the  west,  at  first  moderately,*  then  with  an 
increased  dip.    It  then  appears  very  irregularly  contorted,  as  if  wrinkled 
in  short  and  steep  waves,  and  at  last  disappears  beneath  the  soil  in  a  direc- 
tion bearing  south-westerly,  with  a  large  dip  S.  E.,  and  that  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  mine.  On  the  other  side  of  the  mine,  the  obstruction  ofiered 
by  a  thick  forest,  has  prevented  me  from  tracing  the  shale  to  any  consi- 
derable distance.    In  following  up  Frederick  Brook,  the  strata  pursuing 
the  general  S.  W.  direction  of  the  coal-bed,  first  dip  with  it  N.  W.  at  the 
same  high  angle,  then  become  nearly  or  quite  vertical,  and  then  change 
to  a  S.  E.  dip  ;  then  after  some  interval,  are  highly  contorted,  and  again 
resume  their  former  N.  W.  dip. 

After   collerting  and  considering  these  details,  the  conclusion  at  which 
I  have  arrive      -,  that,  in  the  larger  and  more  regular  part  of  the  mine, 
the  appearancco  are  those  of  a  bed  of  deposit,  not  of  an  injected  mass  ;  that 
this  deposit  assumed  its  present  form  in  a  soft  aqueous  condition  of  the 
including  rock ;  and  that  the  irregularities,  comparatively  small  in  that 
part,  and  more  remarkable  and  difficult  to  explain  in  the  shift  or  fault, 
and  in  the  N.  E.  part  of  the  mine  beyond,  are  the  result  of  the  distur- 
bances which  must  necessarily  have  accompanied  the  change  from  a  nearly 
horizontal  to  a  nearly  vertical  dip  of  the  strata,  accompanied  apparently 
by  some  lateral  movement  in  their  direction  from  W.  to  E.     That  such  a 
movement  may  have  occurred,  may  be  inferred  from  the  apparent  change 
from  an  E.  to  a  S.  E.  or  more  southerly  dip  in  the  strata  in  receding  from 
the  conglomerate  next  to  the  shale  to  the  Peticodiac.     I  offer  this  only  as 
a  hint,  to  be  followed  out  more  exactly,  only  by  a  careful  detailed  exami- 
nation of  the  mine  and  the  surrounding  comitry.     It  is  well  known  that 
great  disturbances  and  irregularities  occur  in  many  coal  fields,  which  do 
not  however  deprive  such  disturbed  beds  of  their  place  among  coals.     Ex- 
amples of  this  kind  may  be  found  on  R.  C.  Taylor's  Statistics  of  Coal, 
(see  pages  171,  277,  279,  &c.) 

I  will  now  offer  some  remarks  on  the  coal  itself.  This,  like  canncl-coal 
and  jet,  is  a  highly  bituminous  substance,  free  from  the  laminated  or 
stratiform  structure  of  common  coal,  or  in  which  it  can  be  only  obscurely 
perceived,  and  in  which  no,  or  very  indistinct,  traces  of  organic  texture 

*  At  this  point  the  shale  erverlies,  in  a  thin  bed,  a  thicker  bed  of  veiy  soft  clay,  obviously 
formed  from  the  decomposition  of  ahale,  the  structure  of  the  shale  being  diBtinotly  observa- 
ble in  at  least  part  of  it. 


36 


can  be  distinguish^.  Such  coals  have  been  considered  as  originally  in  a 
state  of  complete  liquefaction,  or  nearly  so,  at  least  in  a  soft  pulpy  state. 
Such  a  coal,  in  hardening,  would  be,  of  course,  governed  by  those  laws 
which  influence  the  cooling  or  hardening  of  fused  or  liquid  matters.  Such 
substances,  in  hardening,  have  a  tendency  to  divide  by  jointed  seams  or 
planes  of  cleavage,  which  are  controlled  in  their  direction  by  the  bounding 
or  including  walls,  one  set  being  perpendicular  to  them,  in  two  directions, 
forming  the  sides  of  the  resulting  solid  ;  another  parallel  to  them,  form- 
ing its  ends.  The  most  striking  or  principal  seams — those  which  give  the 
columnar  structure — are  perpendicular  to  the  walls,  or  passing  from  wall  to 
wall.  These  are  seen  remarkably  distinct  in  vertical,  or  nearly  vertical, 
trap-dikes,  and  less  so  in  those  which  are  inclined.  The  seams  in  this  coal- 
bed,  as  far  as  I  have  observed,  strictly  conform  to  this  law.  The  seams 
in  the  middle  of  a  large  mass,  are  less  frequent  than  on  its  sides,  adjoining 


the  walls  :  and  the  seams  in  small 


narrow  beds 


or  vems,  are 


more  frequent  throughout,  as  on  the  sides  of  the  larger,  or  in  other 
words,  the  same  matter  on  the  sides  of  larger  beds  or  veins,  and 
throughout  smaller,  breaks  into  smaller  jointed  fragments.  This  is  found, 
also,  to  prevail  in  trap-dikes,  uniformly,  as  far  as  I  have  observed,  and  is 
equally  observable  in  the  coal  of  this  mine.  The  direction  of  the  seams 
corresponds  to  the  direction  of  the  walls,  shifting  with  and  conforming  to 
their  irregularities.  This,  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  is  strictly  observed  in  the 
mine  ;  the  middle  part  of  the  wider  portion  of  the  bed,  where  the  walls 
have  a  near  approach  to  parallelism,  appearing  to  be  divided  by  nearly 
horizontal  and  vertical  planes,  passing  from  wall  to  wall,  and  crossed  by 
other  vertical  seams  parallel  to  the  walls.  These  divisional  planes  are 
very  striking  in  that  portion  of  the  bed,  and  might  lead  a  hasty  observer  to 
suppose  that  such  was  the  general  law  of  division.  But  a  more  minute 
examination  will  show  that  where  the  walls  are  inclined  the  seams  are 
equally  so,  and  that,  in  truth,  these  divisional  planes  strictly  conform  to 
the  surface  on  which  the  coal  rests,  and  follow  all  its  irregularities. 
All  these  planes  are  due  to  the  hardening  of  the  substance  merely,  and 
have  no  relation  to  its  original  laminated  structure.  But,  besides 
these,  I  have  observed,  in  a  strong  light,  delicate  lines  traversing  the 
substance  in  the  more  regular  part  of  the  mine,  parallel  to  the  general 
direction  of  the  bed,  which  may  indicate  its  original  lamination.  More 
exact  observations  might  be  made  by  a  microscope,  both  in  relation  to 
these  and  to  organic  structure,  but  I  leave  such  to  Mr.  Teschemacher, 
who  has  undertaken  that  investigation.  The  division  by  jointed  seams, 
above  mentioned,  is  not  peculiar  to  substances  originally  fused  or  liquid, 
but  is  found  in  substances  which  have  hardened  from  a  merely  soft  state, 
as  clay,  and  also  in  common  bituminous  coal. 

I  have  stated  in  the  beginning  of  these  remarks,  that  I  do  not  under- 
take to  investigate  the  specific  chemical  properties  of  the  substance  in 
question ;  but  there  are  certain  easy  and  obvious  tests,  by  the  action  of 
heat  and  combustion,  by  which  it  is  generally  allowed  that  coal  and 
asphaltum  may  be  distinguished  :  these  I  have  applied,  and  from  the  result 
I  have  concluded  that  so  far  this  substance  has  the  properties  of  coal, 
and  not  those  of  asphultum.  If  this  substance  be  placed  in  the  flame  of 
a  candle  it  does  not  melt  at  all,  but  simply  cracks  and  flakes  apart,  while 
asphaltum  (that  of  Egypt,  Cuba  and  Trinidad)  melts  readily,  and  falls  in 
drops.     Placed  on  a  red  hot  iron,  the  diflerent  varieties  of  the  mine 


37 


other 


(that  hreaking  in  large  fragments,  and  that  divided  into  thin  layers  and 
small  fragments  or  the  structural  variety)  burn  with  a  full  flame,  but  less 
so  and  less  rapidly  than  the  asphaltums,  and  at  the  same  time  swell  and  jet 
jut  like  the  more  bituminous  coals,  and  leave  behind  a  "t.ilky  coke  or 
cinder,  while  the  asphaltums  melt  and  run  as  they  are  burning,  and  leave 
only  a  flat  button,  composed  chiefly  of  earthy  impurities.  Placed  on  a 
hot  iron,  just  below  ignition,  the  asphaltums  melt  and  run  like  wax,  while 
this  substance  only  separates  in  flakes,  and  slightly  softens,  like  the  more 
bituminous  coals.  I  need  not  say  that  all  these  results  connect  this  sub- 
stance with  the  coals,  and  not  with  the  asphaltums. 

The  more  important  conclusions,  which  I  have  stated  in  the  preceding 
remarks,  may  be  here  collected  in  distinct  propositions : — 

1st.  The  bed  in  question  is  situated  in  a  bituminous  shale,  which,  from 
its  own  fossils,  and  from  its  connection  with  rocks,  having  the  fossils  and 
other  characteristics  of  the  coal  formation,  belongs  itself  to  that  formation. 

2d.  The  shale,  for  a  considerable  distance  around  the  mine,  exhibits 
great  irregularities  and  contortions,  caused  by  disturbances  which  have 
changed  its  dip  from  horizontal  to  nearly  vertical. 

3d.  The  principal  portion  of  the  mine  lies,  on  the  whole,  in  a  direc- 
tion between  the  strata,  and  presents  on  the  surfaces  of  its  walls,  appear- 
ances of  deposition  in  a  soft  aqueous  condition,  and  not  of  a  rupture 
and  injection  when  the  rock  was  indurated. 

4th.  The  irregularities  in  the  mine,  even  those  at  the  fault,  and  in  the 
north-east  extremity,  correspond  with  irregularities  observed  in  remote 
parts  of  the  shale,  and  may  be  explained  by  the  disturbance  necessarily 
arising  from  the  change  from  a  horizontal  to  a  nearly  vertical  position  of 
the  strata,  and  perhaps  from  a  contortion  in  their  general  direction. 

5th.  The  substance  is  analagous  to  canncl-coal  and  jet,  in  which  the 
original  lamination  is  nearly  or  quite  obliterated,  and  which,  like  all  sub- 
stances which  have  hardened  from  a  liquid  or  very  soft  state,  are  divided 
by  jointed  seams,  conforming,  in  their  arrangement,  to  the  bounding  walls  ; 
and,  conformably  to  this,  the  jointed  seams  or  divisional  planes  of  the  bed, 
instead  of  being  always  horizontal,  and  uncomformable  to  the  walls,  are, 
in  every  point  examined  by  me,  strictly  conformable  to  them. 

6th.  This  substance,  when  tested  by  the  flame  of  a  candle,  and  by  red- 
hot  iron,  or  iron  heated  just  below  ignition,  exhibits  the  characters  of  coal, 
and  not  those  of  asphaltum. 

That  a  highly  bituminous  coal,  in  which  the  original  vegetable  struc- 
ture is  apparently  obliterated,  may  be  formed  by  mere  aqueous  agency,  is 
proved  by  the  fact,  that  such  a  coal,  burning  very  freely  with  flame,  is 
found  at  the  bottom  of  peat  bogs.  I  have  found  such,  in  different  instances, 
in  peat  bogs  in  Connecticut,  resting  on  the  earthy  bottom.  The  same 
fact  is  stated  in  relation  to  peat  bogs  in  Ireland,  and  such  a  coal  is  de- 
scribed as  found  in  peat,  by  Dr.  0.  T.  Jackson,  in  his  report  on  the 
Geology  of  Maine. 

JAMES  a.  PERCIVAL. 

St.  John,  Aug.  29th,  1851. 


Note. — 1  have  observed,  in  a  series  of  fossil  trees  receutly  uncovered  in  a  bed  iu  ilofci' 
Freeitone  Quarry,  in  the  ooal  formation  of  Piotou,  N.  S.,  a  bituminous  substance,  having 
the  same  external  characters  as  the  coal  of  the  Albert  mine. 


REPORT  ON   ALBERT  COAL, 
BY  DR.  AUGUSTUS  A.  HAYES, 

STATU  ASSAYEB  OF  UASSAOHUSKTTS. 


P 


Meksri.  Cook  &  Smith,  New-York : — 

Dear  Sirs : — Having  at  an  earlier  data  expressed  iue  opinion  that  the  variety 
of  coal  fr  una  in  the  Albert  Company's  Mine,  in  Hillsboro',  New  Brunswick, 
is  a  bituminous  coal,  I  now  present  you,  somewhat  in  detail,  the  reasons  for  such 
an  opi^on.  With  high  respect,  A.  A.  Hayes. 

1  Pine-street,  Boston, ) 
15th  Sept.,  1851.     5 

As  introductory  to  the  facts  known  to  me  as  early  as  the  15th  April, 
1850,  I  may  state  that,  through  the  kindness  of  my  friend,  Dr.  C.  T. 
Jackson,  I  have  been  permitted  to  examine  his  field-book,  containing  his 
notes,  sections  of  strata,  and  admeasurements,  with  the  series  of  organic 
remains  in  quantity,  which  ho  had  collected  from  the  rocks,  including  the 
coal. 

The  advantage  thus  derived  from  his  observations,  enables  me  to  express 
my  conviction  that  the  facts  accord  entirely  with  what  is  known  of  the 
geology  of  coal  formations  generally. 

The  more  recent  investigations  of  the  fossils  of  the  coal  eras,  have 
given  to  this  part  of  geological  science  a  definiteness  unknown  in  other 
departments,  where  less  numerous  observations  have  been  made. 

Reliance  may  be  fully  placed  on  the  facts  which  have  thus  been  estab- 
lished, as  bearing  on  the  age  of  this  deposit,  in  the  series  of  rocks  in- 
closing it. 

The  fossil  vegetation  is  that  of  the  coal  measures,  while  the  organic 
remains  of  the  species  of  fishes,  constituting  the  larger  part,  refer  the 
deposit  to  the  carbonaceous  period  with  distinctness.  Indeed,  the  age  of 
this  bed  seems  to  be  as  clearly  recorded  by  the  fossils  in  the  rocks,  as 
if  it  were  printed  in  chronological  tables  ;  and  this  record  places  this  form 
of  carbonaceous  matter  in  the  period  during  which  bitumiiwus  coals  were 
formed  in  various  parts  of  the  world. 

The  bed  presents,  at  first  view  of  the  section,  a  peculiarity  which  arrests 
attention,  and  which  has  suggested  a  doubt  of  its  form  corresponding  to 
known  beds  of  coal,  elsewhere  observed.  It  difiers  in  the  higher  angle 
of  its  roof  and  floor  from  the  coai-beds  of  England,  where  great  sim- 
plicity prevails.  Dr.  Jackson's  sections,  read  in  connection  with  his  notes 
of  measured  dip  and  direction,  not  only  give  to  this  mine  the  essentials  of 
a  true  bed,  but  show  it  to  correspond  with  other  beds  of  coal,  in  relation 
to  which  no  doubt  can  exist,  or  ever  has  existed. 

Thus,  in  the  section  of  the  mine  of  Montchanin,  are  presented,  on  a 
grand  scale,  the  same  features  as  are  deemed  peculiar  in  the  Albert 


89 


have 


Company's  mine.  This  section  will,  I  hope,  be  given  with  that  by  Dr. 
Jackson,  and  to  it  I  refer,  concluding  from  the  evidence  now  before  us 
that,  geologically  speaking,  the  Albert  Company's  mine  is  a  bed  of  highly 
bituminous  coal,  in  which  the  workings  are  progressing. 

Leaving  this  part  of  the  evidence  of  its  common  origin  with  varieties  of 
bituminous  coal,  we  come  to  consider  it  simply  as  a  mineral  body,  of  the 
combustible  class,  and  to  find  its  true  place  in  known  arrangements  of 
species. 

Its  physical  characters  of  fracture  and  specific  g'^avity  are  subject  to  the 
same  variations  which  we  recognize  in  other  kinds  of  coal,  and  both  have 
a  connection  with  the  material  from  which  it  originated.  In  many  speci- 
mens, tho  conchoidal  fracture  is  as  perfect  as  in  the  anthracites.  In  other 
cases,  a  mixed  fracture  causes  it  to  approach  the  cannel  coal  on  one  side, 
and  the  laminated  variety  of  bituminous  coal  on  the  other. 

The  important  researches  of  J.  E.  Teschemacher,  Esq.,  have  taught  us 
to  study  the  structural  form  of  coals,  in  connection  with  the  organic  forms 
composing,  in  part,  its  mass.  Frequently,  we  find  in  the  Albert  Com- 
pany's coal  the  same  markings  made  by  the  plants  of  the  coal  era,  as  are 
found  in  the  cannel  coal,  and  harder  anthracites  ;  and  variations  in  frac- 
ture can  be  observed,  which  were  produced  by  these  remains.  This  coal, 
like  some  anthracites  and  lignites,  is  black,  without  the  slightest  degree  of 
translucency ;  a  character  separating  it  from  the  bitumens,  which  transmit 
a  red  brown  light.  Its  powder  is  black,  as  is  also  its  streak,  while  all  the 
bitumens  give  a  brown  powder,  and  exhibit  the  same  color  in  their  streak. 
At  all  temperatures  below  450®  F.  this  coal  is  brittle,  and  its  powder  does 
not  agglutinate,  while  the  bitumens  are  unknown  at  this  temperature, 
excepting  in  the  state  of  vapr  r,  and  their  powders  agglutinate  at  100°  F. 

Specifically,  this  is  one  of  the  lightest  coals  known,  being  nearly  of  the 
same  density  as  bitumen  free  from  earths.  The  bituminous  part  of  coals, 
or  the  inflammable  portion  strictly,  is  variously  composed,  both  in  relation 
to  ultimate  elements,  and  the  modes  in  which  these  primary  bodies  unite 
to  form  secondary  compounds ;  hence  specific  gravity,  in  reference  to 
chemical  composition,  is  a  character  of  little  importance.  This  character 
is,  however,  influenced  by  the  mechanical  arrangement  of  the  constitu- 
ent bodies ;  and  in  this  coal  the  disposition  shown  to  decompose  into 
water,  naphtha,  and  carbon,  has  a  connection  with  the  low  specific  gravity. 
Trials  made  on  specimens  from  various  parts  of  the  mine,  show  a  density, 
compared  with  pure  water  at  60",  of  1.0836  to  1.1113. 

There  are  two  combustible  bodies  which,  physically  considered,  bear 
some  resemblance  to  the  Albert  Company's  coal,  and  it  is  important  that  the 
characters  of  these  substances  should  be  compared  with  those  of  the  coal. 
One  is  the  chapapote,  or  bitumen,  from  near  Havana,  Island  of  Cuba ; 
the  other  is  the  asphaltum,  as  imported  for  chemical  purposes.  Having 
been  employed  as  early  as  1839  to  examine  the  chapapote,  I  have  learned 
many  of  its  characters.  It  is  a  brilliant  black  bitumen,  remarkable  for  its 
purity ;  its  powder  is  a  shade  of  brown ;  fracture  conchoidal ;  specific 
gravity,  pure  pieces,  1.1650  to  1.1700,  and  remarkably  uniform.  It  has 
an  asphaltic  odor,  and  easily  breaks,  with  a  slight  yielding.  Thin  por- 
tions transmit  red-brown  light.  It  appears  to  be  an  oxydized  maltha  or 
petroleum,  which,  once  fluid,  has  become  solid  at  ordinary  temperature, 
by  oxydation,  precisely  what  we  observe  daily  taking  place  at  the  Pitch 
Lake  of  Trinidad.     Once  solid,  oxydation  proceeds  more  slowly,  and  tho 


40 


\ 


bitumen  retains,  at  a  low  temperature,  its  characters,  with  some  perma- 
nency. It  presents  no  traces  of  organic  markings,  having  the  uniformity, 
fracture,  lustre,  and  general  characters  of  a  resin. 

Asphaltum,  as  is  well  known,  is  a  fluid  body,  which  has  become  solid  by 
the  action  of  atmospheric  air.  It  exudes  from  the  strata,  and  flowing  to 
the  lowest  point,  generally  appears  on  the  surface  of  water.  The  variety 
giving  the  name  to  the  species  comes  from  the  Lake  Asphaltes,  and  is 
always  more  pure  when  taken  from  near  the  surface  of  water  over 
which  it  I  s  flowed,  than  when  taken  from  the  earthy  strata.  The  frac- 
ture of  t  Jis  substance,  at  low  temperature,  is  conchoidal ;  its  color  black- 
brown  ;  color  of  its  powder  brown  ;  its  specific  gravity,  which  is  much 
affected  by  the  proportion  of  sand,  is  1.16. 

The  physical  character  of  color  in  mass,  is  the  same  in  chapapote  and 
Albert  Company's  coal,  but  the  latter  is  opaque.  Chapapote,  asphaltum, 
and  Albert  Company's  coal,  agree  in  specific  gravity,  nearly,  while  they 
differ  in  fracture  and  lustre. 

When  we  view  the  three  substances,  Albert  Company's  coal,  chapapote, 
and  asphaltum,  in  relation  to  their  uses  in  the  arts  of  life,  their  physical 
characters  become  of  secondary  importance.  For  instance,  if  chapapoto 
is  to  be  dissolved  in  oil  of  turpentine,  to  form  a  coarse  varnish,  its  frac- 
ture and  specific  gravity  are  points  of  no  importance  ;  nor  is  it  a  matter 
of  any  consequence,  in  the  case  of  asphaltum,  whether  its  color  is  gray, 
brown,  or  black,  if  it  forms  with  oil  a  shining  mass. 

The  value  of  these  substances  depends  on  those  characters'  which  are 
called  chemical,  and  their  claims  to  places  in  any  proper  arrangement 
are  founded  on  these.  If,  therefore,  the  Albert  Company's  coal  has  the 
chemical  characters  of  asphaltum,  or  of  chapapote,  then  for  all  useful 
purposes  it  nmst  be  ranked  with  these,  take  its  place  in  the  family  of  the 
bitumens,  and  lose  its  claim  to  the  name  of  coal. 

The  pervading  influence  of  heat  is  of  the  first  importance  in  con- 
nection with  these  bodies,  for  their  uses  in  the  arts  are  directly  connected 
with  this,  and  the  action  of  solvents  is  modified  by  this  power. 

Albert  Company's  coal,  either  in  powder,  or  in  masses,  exposed  to  the 
temperature  of  220'^  F.,  suffers  no  change.  Chapapote,  at  214"  F., 
melts  from  a  previously  softened  state  to  a  unifoim  fluid,  which  may  be 
poured  from  one  vessel  to  another,  or  passed  through  small  orifices. 
Asphaltum,  in  its  varieties,  suffers  the  same  change  of  form,  and,  exclusive 
of  earthy  matters,  has  the  same  characters  below  220*^  F.  Albert  Com- 
pany's coal,  placed  on  a  bath  of  melted  tin,  suffers  no  change,  and  when 
plunged  below  the  surface  it  remains  unaltered,  at  500*^  F.  Chapapote, 
becoming  fluid,  cannot  be  placed  on  melted  tin,  without  being  rapidly 
changed,  and  escaping  as  vapor  and  smoke.  Placed  in  tubes,  and  immersed 
in  melted  tin,  it  melts  quickly,  gently  boils,  and  gives  off  more  than  half 
its  weight  of  fluid  matter,  a  mixture  of  petroleum  and  volatile  hydro- 
carbons. Asphaltum  undergoes  similar  changes  ^when  placed  in  tubes, 
and  immersed  in  melted  tin  at  500*^  F.  Marked  as  are  these  differences, 
the  character  of  melting  to  a  fluid,  and  then  permitting  volatile  fluids  to 

f)a8S  from  them  without  any  swelling  greater  than  that  produced  by  ebul- 
.ition,  is  very  important.  It  assimilates  the  bitumens  to  ordinary  turpen- 
tine and  tar,  which  thus  divide  into  volatile  spirits,  and  solid  residues, 
having  a  porous  form.  These  two  substances,  chapapote  and  asphaltum, 
melting  at  about  the  boiling  point  of  water,  cannot  be  used  as  fuel  ordi- 


41 


they  cannot  bo  used 
When  Albert  (fnmpany's  coal  is 


solids, 


narily  ;  and  dividing  by  boat  into  fluids  and 
alone  for  producing  gas  economically. 

placed  on  melted  bsnd,  it  docs  not  molt ;  but  when  plunged  below  the 
surface,  and  retained  there,  it  eoftens,  so  far  that  it  can  be  iniprcHsed.  Tho 
tc^iperaturo  in  this  case  is  near  650'^  F.,  and  after  long  exposure,  the 
fraj^ments  do  not  lose  their  forms.  Either  chapapote,  or  asphaltum,  is 
entirely  decomposed  at  this  temperature,  exhibiting  tho  characters  of 
true  bitumens. 

Albert  Company's  coal,  exposed  to  a  gradually  increasing  temperature 
from  650°  F. ,  begins  to  swell  at  700",  and  at  about  750°  decomposition  com- 
mences. At  this  point  the  coal  rises  in  puffs,  the  elements  of  water  com- 
bine to  form  vapor  ;  naphtha  gases  and  volatile  alkaloids  are  also  produced. 
The  coal  does  not  melt,  either  by  slow  or  rapid  application  of  heat.  It 
tumefies,  and  takes  the  form  of  the  containing  vessel,  while  the  vapors  are 
escaping,  resembling,  in  this,  tho  action  of  heat  on  wool,  hair,  &c.  As  no 
substance  can  be  called  bitumen  which  does  not  melt  below  220°  F.,  the 
Albert  Company's  coal  is  far  removed  from  the  class  of  bitumens. 

The  influence  of  heat  enables  us  to  apply  a  distinctive  test,  which  in  its 
results  may  be  considered  as  decisive.  If  any  variety  of  bitumen  is  sup- 
ported on  a  wire  mesh,  having  four  or  five  holes  in  the  linear  inch,  and 
heat  be  then  applied  from  a  flame  below,  the  bitumens  will  melt  and  flow 
away.  When  coal  is  subjected  to  the  same  trial,  it  inflames  or  ignites,  and 
is  consumed.  Albert  Company's  coal,  exposed  in  this  way,  inflames,  swells 
and  coiisumes,  except  ashes.  When  an  anthracite  coal  fire  was  burning 
under  i\  steam  boiler,  Albert  Company's  coal  was  suddenly  thrown  over 
the  hot  f'iOi ;  the  coal  caked  and  burnt  away,  without  any  fused  portion 
dropping  through  the  intensely  heated  fuel.  To  render  this  experiment 
more  satisfactory,  the  whole  of  the  coal  was  removed,  leaving  the  walls  and 
bars  red  hot.  Albert  Company's  coal  being  then  supplied,  the  combustion 
was  active,  and  by  frequent  stirring,  was  continued  some  hours,  st'am  be- 
ing generated,  and  less  ash  than  usual  fell  through  the  grate.  It  is  thus 
proved  that  the  Albert  Company's  coal  has  one  of  the  essentials  of  coal, 
the  property  of  burning  from  a  grate  being  characteristic  of  coal,  in  con- 
nection with  its  form.  The  relations  of  Albert  Company's  coal  to  heat, 
establish  its  afiinities  to  coal  positively,  while  the  bitumens  become  clearly 
distinguished  ;  it  is  deemed  important,  however,  to  examine  its  relations 
to  solvents,  selecting  those  which,  used  in  the  arts,  serve  to  modify  the 
form  of  solids,  and  adapt  them  to  certain  purposes.  In  the  comparisons 
which  follow,  the  circumstances  were  made  as  nearly  alike  as  was  possible. 

Action  of  Oil  of  Turpentine,  (Spirits  Turpentine.) — Chapapote, 
dissolves  in  this  fluid  heated  to  212°  F.,  leaving  only  some  earthy  matters. 
This  is  a  perfect  solution,  and  will  pass  through  a  filter.  Asphaltum  dis- 
solves precisely  as  chapapote  does,  and  the  solution  is  the  ordinary  asphal- 
tum varnish.  Albert  Company's  coal,  when  heated  to  280°  F.,  the  tur- 
pentine becomes  colored  brown.  Two  hundred  parts  of  the  coal,  in  fine 
powder,  heated  two  hours  with  one  thousand  parts  of  oil  turpentine,  and 
finally  boiled,  gave  a  brown  fluid,  the  coal  remaining  undissolved,  even 
after  digestion  two  days.  The  brown  fluid  was  decanted,  another  portion 
of  turpentine  added,  and  the  whole  again  heated,  and  this  repeated  again, 
still  left  the  coa'  undissolved.  The  coal  was  washed  in  strong  alcohol, 
and  dried  at  400%  when  it  ceased  to  lose  weight ;  7  3-10  parts  had  been 
abstracted  by  the  turpentine  and  heat.     In  another  sample,  treated  in  the 


m 

-4 


^ 


42 


eatnc  way,  ono  hundred  parts  lost  5  7-10  parts.  In  each  case,  about  ten 
times  the  weight  of  coal,  in  turpentine,  had  been  used.  The  browu  matter 
alters  tlie  character  of  the  turpentine,  and  the  products  are  left  by  ev-:<po- 
ration,  in  the  form  of  a  brown,  brittle  compound.  Tb .  coai  beoomcB 
softened  by  the  digestion,  but  regains  its  former  oonditi'>n  and  appearance 
on  drying. 

In  the  definite  action  of  oil  of  turpentine,  the  distinction  betwcn  bitumona 
and  coal  is  seen  in  the  solution  of  the  former,  while  only  a  small  portion  of 
bitumen  is  dissolved  from  the  latter.  When,  instead  of  Albert  Company's 
coal,  we  take  Scotch  cannel,  a  well  characterized  coal,  the  samo  brown 
solution  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  boiling  oil  of  turpentine.  Tiiis  partial 
action  of  turpentine,  shows  a  resemblance  between  these  two  coals. 

Action  or  Benzole. — This  substance,  as  derived  from  the  dcstructivo 
distillation  of  coal,  is  an  excellent  solvent  of  bitumens.  Both  chapapote  and 
asphaltum  are  dissolved  in  it,  with  or  without  heat,  into  uniform  n^d-brown 
fluids,  which  pass  the  filter.  Albert  Company's  coal  gives,  as  in  the  case  of 
turpentine,  a  brown  colored  compound  to  this  fluid,  while  the  coal  remains 
undissolved.  By  using  three  portions  of  the  fluid  on  the  same  coal,  the 
third  solution,  even  after  boiling,  is  nearly  colorless,  and  nearly  the  original 
quantity  of  cojil  remains. 

Action  of  Rosin  Oil. — In  the  distillation  of  rosin,  this  product  is  ob- 
tained as  a  light  yellow-colored  oil.  It  dissolves  bitumens,  and  forms, 
with  chapapote  and  asphaltums,  clear,  brown,  heavy  varnishes. 

Albert  Cfompany's  coal  gives,  as  in  the  case  of  turpentine,  a  brown  color 
to  the  oil ;  the  first  and  second  portions  being  removed  after  digestion,  the 
third  becomes  only  slightly  colored.  The  coal,  after  being  washed  and 
dried,  exhibits  its  ordinary  appearance. 

Action  of  Linseed  Oil. — This  substance  is  used  in  the  arts  for  dis- 
solving asphaltum  ;  its  action  on  chapapr  iv  h  tho  same,  forming  with  both 
a  brown  varnish,  in  which  all  these  bitumens  disappear. 

Albert  Company's  coal.  The  oil  in  this  case  was  heated  to  300"  F.,  some 
time  on  the  coal,  no  alteration  took  place  in  either.  Some  fragments  of 
tin  were  added,  and  the  temperature  raised  until  the  tin  was  fluid  ;  after 
some  hours  the  oil  had  suffered  the  same  changes  as  attend  heating  it,  while 
the  coal  remained  unaltered. 

Action  of  Sulphuric  Ether — This  solvent  of  oils  dissolves  chapapote 
and  asphaltum,  as  it  does  other  bitumens.  Its  prolonged  action  on  Albert 
Company's  Coal,  causes  the  solution  of  a  naphtha-like  fluid  and  a  resinous 
body ;  the  coal  remains  softened,  but  regains  its  original  appearance  by 

drying.  «  ,       • 

The  action  of  these  solvents  affords  the  strongest  evidence  of  the  mineral 
of  the  Albert  Company's  mine  being  not  only  coal,  but  bituminous  coal, 
well  characterized.  All  the  bituminous  coals  yield,  to  one  or  more  of  these, 
some  portion  of  their  more  inflammable  parts. 

Action  of  Nitric  Acid,  sp.  gr.  1.20. — Chapapote,  when  warmed  in 
this  acid,  colors  it,  swells,  and  at  212°  F.  is  converted  into  a  porous,  coke- 
like mass,  which,  at  a  higher  temperature,  decomposes  the  acid.  Asphal- 
tum exhibits  nearly  the  same  action,  more  humus,  or  tannic  acid  being 
produced.  Albert  Company's  coal,  heated  to  boiling  point  of  tht:  acid,  it 
exhibits  no  change,  the  acid  is  not  decomposed. 

Action  of  Sulphuric  Acid,  (50  Oil  Vitriol,  .50  TTtt^cr.;— Chapapote 
melts  in  this  acid,  at  214"  F,  into  an  adhesive  balsam.    Asphaltum  melts 


48 


,  some 


at  217-  F.,  in  thm  acid,  givefl  vaporH  of  potrolouin,  and  combines  slightly 
with  the  acid.  Albert  Oompany'B  coal,  digested  m  the  acid  at  214  b  ., 
suffers  no  alteration  ;  at  250"  F.,  no  change  is  produced  on  the  coal  or 

**' Action  ok  Oii.  of  ViTRioL.-Chapapote  melts  in  oil  of  vitriol,  at  about 
214"  F  •  at  a  higher  temperature,  colors  the  acid  black,  and  is  decora- 
posed.  ■  Asphaltum  melts,  chars  and  blackens  the  acid,  leaving  a  brown 

""Tlbcrt  Company's  coal,  heated  to  300»  F.,  in  oil  of  vitriol,  undergoes 
no  change.  At  450",  bubbles  of  gas  escape  from  the  pores  of  the  coal, 
and  the  structural  lines  become  developed;  no  swelling  or  tendency  to 
melt  or  form  coke  is  exhibited.  At  near  600°  F.,  the  acid  is  decomposed 
sulphurous  and  carbonic  acids  escape  as  gases.  On  cooling  the  acid,  its 
color  remains  unchanged.     This  is  a  character  which  distinguishes  coal. 

These  arc  some  of  the  many  trials  which  have  been  made  and  among 
them  no  result  has  been  obtained  ,- uowiug  a  correspondence  between  cha- 
papote,  asphaltum  and  Albert  Company's  coal;  but  the  more  they  are 
multiplied,  the  stronger  the  points  of  diversity  become  P^'J^if  ^*-  .  ^, 
The  chemical  relations  of  these  bodies,  are  deemed  the  strictly  important 
ones,  as  they  depend  on  the  composition  of  the  matter  from  which  each 
was  formed  originally.  They  in  fact  make  up  the  whole  valuable  proper- 
ties of  these  substances,  when  we  include  the  influence  »*  heat. 

Considered  geologically,  physically  and  chemically,  the  Albert  Com- 
pany's coal  is  entireTy  a  Afferent  natural  product  from  either  chapapote  or 
asphaltum.  It  is  a  highly  bituminous  coal,  and  has  its  place  m  a  systematic 
arrangement,  near  to  cannel  coal.  .   ,. 

In  its  destruction  by  burning,  the  Albert  Company's  coal  F^s^^t^^^f^- 
cations  of  its  origin  from  cellular  tissue,  in  the  small  proportion  of  ashes 
afforded  bv  a  given  woi-ht.  Thus,  100  parts  of  different  samples  give  from 
S  54  to  1.32  per  cent."of  suuff-briwn  colored  ashes.^  Th  s  small  amoun 
belongs  to  a  peculiarly  pure  organic  matter  only,  and  is  a  character  of  some 
importance,  in  connecting  this  with  other  more  dense  «oals.  Taking  the 
pufer  European  coals,  we  have  the  Alais  Rochelle,  sp.  gr  1.322,  affording 
1.41  per  cent.  ;  Commentry,  sp.  gr.  1.319,0.24  per  cent  ;  R^vede  Gier, 
Grand  Croix,  sp.  gr.  1.302,  1.44  per  cent  ;  common  coal  Ob^rnkirc^en 
sp.  gr.  1.279,  1  per  cent.  ;  coal  of  St.  Columbe,  sp.gr.  1.305  0.89  per 
cent  ;  Westphalia,  sp.  gr.  1.288,  0.70  per  cent.;  Konigsgrube,  sp.  gr. 

^' bIs  also  rremTrkabl/dry  coal,  100  parts  exposed  to  a  temperature  of 
400"  F.,  lose  only  1  percent,  of  moisture.  .  ,     ^,      ,.    ,     j?   ^.i   «, 

As  a  material  for  manufacturing  gas,  either  with  other  l^i?d«.  ^^  «o'\\'.  °^ 
alone,  this  coal  has  a  high  value.  Its  application  as  an  aid  m  kindling 
fuel  of  difficult  combustion,  and  in  mixture  with  o  her  coals  for  mak  ng  a 
cheerful  fire,  will  add  greatly  to  our  resources  of  this  article  of  necessity, 

""  luIpSbk,"  too,  that  its  uses  in  the  arts,  as  the  basis  of  black  paints 
and  cements,  wQl  extend,  as  its  introduction  increases. 

Respectfully, 

\va.  A.  HAYES,    _^        ^ 

Assayer  to  State  of  SUkssacrmsetts. 

1  Pine  St.  Boston,  15th  Sept.,  1851. 


i 


44 

REPORT  OF  DR.  JAMES  R.  CHILTON,  NEW- YORK. 

I  HAVE  analyzed  the  sample  of  coal  from  Hillsboro'  N.  B.,  which  you 
left  with  me  and  I  find  it  to  be  a  highly  bituminous  variety.  It  yields,  by 
aualysis,  the  following :  j         j        }   j 

Volatile  matter, 53.48 

Fixed  carbon, 40.86 

Ashes, 0.66 


100.00 


Some  time  in  June  last,  I  analyzed  this  same  article  for  Dr  Gesner  • 
the  result  of  that  analysis  was  about  the  same  as  the  above.  The  article 
was  at  that  tune  put  into  my  hands  under  the  name  of  "  asphaltum,"  and 
1  so  designated  it  in  the  statement  given  to  Dr.  Gesner.  The  external 
appearance  of  the  article  being  such,  as  not  to  lead  a  person  to  doubt  that 
It  might  be  asphaltum,  and  the  object  of  the  analysis  then,  was  only  to 
determme  the  proportions  of  volatile  and  fixed  matter,  to  show  its  utility 
for  gas  manufacture.  In  this  respect,  it  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to 
asphaltum  and  some  varieties  of  canncl  coal. 

T  ?l  J"™?ous  experiments,  which  I  have  recently  made  with  the  article, 
1  nnd  that  It  does  not  possess  those  properties  which  distinguish  asphaltum 
trom  coal.  Asphaltum  dissolves  very  readily  in  oil  of  turpentine,  naphtha, 
chloroforni,  &c.,  and  forms  a  thick  solution,  which  is  used  for  a  varnish! 
1  tie  Hillsboro'  coal  does  not  dissolve  in  either  oil  of  turpentine,  naphtha,  or 
chloroform,  even  when  boiled  with  them.  The  liquids,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, become  a  little  discolored,  which  is  owing  to  the  coal  yieldin" 
a  small  portion  of  its  excess  of  bitumen.  Jo 

When  asphaltum  is  held  against  a  piece  of  heated  iron,  it  melts  readily, 
like  common  rosin  ;  while  the  coal  in  question,  similarly  treated,  does  not 
melt  at  all,  nor  does  it  become  more  softened  than  some  other  kinds  of 
bituminous  coal. 

In  adition  to  the  foregoing,  I  may  state  that  I  have  examined  some  of 
the  shale,  said  to  be  from  the  walls  of  this  coal-bed,  at  Hillsboro',  which 
has  portions  of  the  coal  adhering  to  it.  I  find  it  to  be  a  true  coal  shale, 
containing  organic  vegetable  structure. 

Yours,  respectfully, 

JAMES  R.  CHILTON,  M.  D.,  Chemist. 
New- York,  April  13,  1851. 


REPORT  OF  GEORGE  C.  HUDSON,  OF  LIVERPOOL. 

This  sample  is  a  true  jet  coal,  or  lignite  :  specific  irravity,  1 .091 .  TTpnr. 
being  subjected  to  dry  distillation,  (as  in  the  ordinary  of'gas  making,)  it 
yields  61  per  cent,  of  inflammable  gases,  of  high  illuminating  quality,  leav- 
ing 39  per  cent,  of  light  gray,  silvery  coke.  It  is  entirely  free  from  any 
contamination  by  sulphur,  and  on  this  account,  and  the  comparatively  low 


» 


)RK. 

which  you 
yields,  by 


,  Gesner ; 
rhe  article 
turn,"  and 
e  external 
loubt  that 
IS  only  to 
its  utility 
iblance  to 

he  article, 
[isphaltum 
,  naphtha, 
a  varnish, 
iphtha,  or 
these  cir- 
il  yielding 

ts  readily, 

does  not 

•  kinds  of 

i  some  of 
o',  which 
oal  shale. 


46 

temperature  required  for  the  elimination  of  the  gaseous  products,  I  am  of 
opinion  that  it  would  be  admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose  of  gas  illumi- 
nation. It  might  be  objected,  perhaps,  that  its  low  specific  gravity,  and 
consequent  bulky  form,  would  be  a  hindrance  to  its  use  for  gas  purposes  ; 
but  when  tiu,  slight  degree  of  purification^  which  would  be  required  for  the 
gas,  and  the  capability  of  a  more  frequent  charging  of  the  retorts,  owing  to 
the  facility  with  which  it  parts  with  its  gaseous  components,  are  taken  into 
account,  the  objection  to  its  lightness  and  bulk  must  fall  to  the  ground.  The 
purity  of  the  coke  is  such,  that  it  might  be  advantageously  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  steel.  It  is  quite  distinct  from  the  substance  called  asphal- 
tura.  It  is  not  affected  in  consistence  by  a  heat  of  212°,  whereas  asphaltum 
is  partially  liquefied  in  boiling  water.  It  (the  jet)  is  scarcely  soluble  in 
ether,  and  is  intact  in  pure  alcohol ;  it  is  scarcely  affected  by  turpentine, 
or  any  of  the  essential  oils,  and  is  only  acted  on,  to  a  moderate  extent,  by 
pure  coal  naphtha,  or  distilled  oil  of  petroleum,  whereas  asphaltum  is  more 
or  less  soluble  in  all  these  agents,  and  in  the  latter,  (oil  of  petroleum,) 
especially,  it  is  entirely  di?solved.  The  mean  gravity  of  asphaltum  is 
higher,  being  1.160.  The  jet  coal,  under  notice,  would  be  applicable  to 
many  ornamental  uses,  but  it?  chief  utility  resides  in  its  gas  affording  pro- 
perties, for  which  it  should  meet  a  ready  sale. 

GEO.  C.  HUDSON, 


Liverpool,  April  24,  1851. 


Consulting  and  Analytical  Chemist. 


REPORT  OF  DR.  URE,  OF  LONDON. 

London,  24  Bloomsbury  Square,  14th  March,  1851. 
I  hereby  certify,  that  the  shining,  black,  solid  pieces,  which  you  put 
into  my  hands  this  morning,  are  lumps  of  pitch  coal,  a  true  mineral  of 
the  geological  coal  formation,  and  therefore,  in  every  sense  of  the  term 
popular,  scientific,  and  legal,  a  truly  mineral  production  or  substance. 

I  am  tri'ly  yours, 

ANDREW  URE,  M.  D.,  F.  R.  S. 


Chemist. 


>0L. 

! .  Upon 
iking,)  it 
lity,  leav- 
from  any 
tively  low 


REPORT  OF  DR.  JOHN  TORREY, 

Professor  of  Chemistry,  Sfc,   College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of 

New-  York. 

I  HAVE  examined,  with  much  care,  a  specimen  of  mineral  combustible 
matter  left  with  me  by  Messrs.  Cook  &  Smith,  of  New- York,  and  said  to 
have  been  found  in  Hillsboro',  New  Brunswick.  It  is  my  decided  opinion 
that  this  substance  is  a  highly  bituminized  coal.  It  differs  from  asphal- 
tum, in  not  being  fusible,  the  heat  merely  causinn'  it  to  swell  as  it  doe" 
some  of  the  varieties  of  bituminous  coal.  It  is  likewise  insoluble  in  spirits 
of  turpentine,  even  at  a  boiling  heat ;  whereas  nsphaltum  dissolves  readily 
in  the  fluid.  This  new  variety  of  coal  is  re.njivkable  for  the  large  quantity 
of  volatile  matter  which  it  contains,  nearly  equal  to  60  per  cent.,  whilo 


46 


the  quantity  of  ash  left  when  it  is  perfectly  burned,  amounts  to  less  than 
one  per  cent.  j^^^  TORREY. 

Laboratory  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 

New-York,  March  13th,  1851. 


REPORT  OF  PROFESSOR  JAS.  C.  BOOTH, 

Assayer  of  tk    United  States  Mint,  ^c,  at  Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia,  April  4,  1851. 

I  HFREBY  certify,  that  I  have  carefully  examined  the  bituminous  coal 
frol  HUlsW  I^w  Brunfdc,^^  '^^.'-^r  I^ -taiSin 
foo';S;T?5tt^r;  wS  pts'eitrat1llS|l9.75  volatile  -«er 

?  P^  l'  t  .^S  25  of  fixed  carbon,  and  0.25  of  ash  ;-the  two  last  makmg 
38Y-2  S     cVSof  a  ^  Itis  shown  to.  be  bituminous  coa^ 

Vdfj.halt  because  it  has  a  similar  composition  to  some  English 
Wtumlrcot  ;  and  like  them,  swells  up  in  coking,  without  a  true  fusion  ; 
tcareT  s  nSle  in  boiling  alcohol,  oil  of  turpentine,  and  pure 
because  It  is  mso  b  ^^  ^^^^^^^  in  boiling  ether  ;  and 

r''''«!thfwuctsof  a  careful  distillation  are  different  from  those  of 
aSalt  I  C  careful^compared  it  in  all  these  pmnts,  with  aspha  t 
fro'm  he  Dead  Sea  or  thai  asphalt  from  which  that  substance  derives  its 
nre  and  characteristics,  and  have  found  it  different  from  i^  in  all. 

JAS.  C.  BOOlxl, 
Professor  'of  Chemistry  applied  to  the  Arts, 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 


REPORT  OF  DR.  FREDERICK  PENxNEY,  OF  GLASGOW. 

Glasgow,  16th  April,  1851. 
Tv  oomnliancc  with  your  request,  I  have  made  a  general  chemical  exa- 

CJck  'Ty  auJon  Id  cxpcriMont,  .era  dircCeJ  oxcludvel,  to 

ture  of  rrue  coai^ an  ^^  ^.^^^^^      j.^^^^^^^  therefore,  be  regarded  as  a 

.trLinSvC   the  common  coal  of   Great  Britain.     I    is  remarkably 
iSit  ImingT^^^  g-vity  of  1,097,  which  is  the  lowest  density  of 

any  coal  I  have  had  occasion  to  examine. 


47 


?  I 


A  tLorough  analysis  of  it  gave  me  the  following  results 
Volatile  matter,  61.0 

Coke.  I  ^'^^  ^°^«' 


100.0 

It  would  yield  a  large  proportion  of  very  fine  and  rich  gas  for  the  pur- 
pose of  illumination,  and  much  more  than  the  cannel  or  gas  coal  of  Scot- 
land and  England.  It  is  perfectly  free  from  pyrites,  and  hence  the  gas 
produced  from  it  will  not  contain  any  injurious  "  sulphur  ingredients." 
In  coking,  this  coal  swells  very  considerably,  and  the  coke  takes  the  form 
of  the  vessel  in  which  it  is  made.  The  coke  is  extremely  friable.^  and 
from  its  want  of  compactness  it  is,  in  my  opinion,  of  inferior  quaUty. 
The  amount  of  incombustible  ash  contained  in  it  is  exceedingly  small,  and 
quite  insignificant. 

Trusting  that  the  above  will  be,  in  the  mean  time,  a  sufficient  answer  to 
your  inquiry, 

I  remain,  sir. 

Yours,  very  faithfully, 

FREDERICK  PENNEY, 

Professor  of  Chemistry, 


REPORT  OF  ROBERT  FOULIS,  ESQ.,  OF  ST.  JOHN,  N.  B. 

I  CONSIDER  the  mineral  found  at  the  Duffy  mine,  in  Albert  county,  N.  B., 
now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Allison,  to  be  a  very  pure  bituminous  coal. 
I  designated  it  as  asphaltic  coal,  merely  from  its  containing  a  greater  por- 
tion of  bitumen  than  is  common  to  the  ordinary  coal  in  use,  and  a  les3 
portion  of  earthy  matter  than  is  usually  found  in  most  kinds  of  pit  coal 
causing  it  to  have  a  smaller  specific  gravity. 

I  have  found  it,  on  analysis,  to  contain  the  same  constituents  that  are 
essential  to  common  bituminous  coal,  namely — carbon,  hydrogen,  oxygen 
and  azote.  It  is  found,  as  to  its  geological  position,  in  a  coal  formation, 
and  encased  in  a  true  coal  shale.  Unlike  asphaltum,  it  does  not  melt  at 
the  temperature  of  212*^  ;  nor  does  caustic  potash  dissolve  the  notable 
quantity  of  this  coal  that  it  does  of  asphaltum.  Neither  does  the  action 
of  oils,  petroleum,  or  sulphuret  ether  furnish  the  .same  products  with  this 
coal,  that  these  substances  do  when  united  with  asphaltum. 

Like  true  coal,  (when  found  at  some  depth,)  this  mineral  has  a  regular 
and  distinct  cleavage  of  a  laniellated  character,  which  quite  distin<Tui.shes 
it  from  asphaltum,  which  has  a  massive  or  continuous  form.  Atmospheric 
action  produces  little  or  no  effect  on  asphaltum,  but  on  this  coal  it  produces 
a  rapid  division  or  falling  to  pieces  of  the  mass.  I  have,  therefore,  no 
hesitation  in  declaring  the  coal  in  question  to  be  a  mineral  substance,  quite 
different  from  the  true  asphaltum  found  in  Lake  Asphaltum,  and  imported 
from  India.  I  consider  it  to  belong  to  Profes.sor  JauKSOu'w  third  upecies, 
in  his  mineral  arrangements  of  coal,  and  to  be  allied  to  the  sub-species 
called  by  him  pitch  coal. 

ROBERT  FOULIS. 
St.  John,  N.  B.,  6th  March,  1851. 


I 


48 

REPORT  OF  DR.  B.  SILLIMAN,  Jr., 

Professor  of  Chemistry. 

New- York,  Oct.  7th,  1851. 
Messrs.  Cook  &  Smith,  New-York : 

Gentlenien:-!  have  read,  with  pleasure  and  attention,  t^^^  report  of 
Mr  A.  A  Hayes  to  your  company,  concerning  the  Albert  Company  s 
coal,  of  New  Brunswick,  dated  Boston,  15th  September. 

The  results  of  Mr.  Hayes  are  entirely  satisfactory  and  irrefragable-to 
the  point  that  the  material  in  question  is  truly  a  coal  oiiho  bituminous 
class  and  in  no  sense  whatever  can  it  be  regarded  as  asphaltum  or  bitumen. 
Every  chemist  who  gives  the  subject  his  attention,  must  admit  tha  the 
fhemLl  proof  brought  forward  by  Mr.  Hayes  and  sustained  by  a  constant 
comparison  of  the  Albert  Company's  coal  with  true  bitumen  and  asphalt, 
S  treated  by  the  same  methods  and  reagents,  are  en  ire ly  convincing, 
Ind  forever  settle  any  doubt  which  a  supposed  similanty  of  general 
appearance,  fracture,  &c.,  may  have  countenanced  as  to  the  ^def^tyol 
3  coal,  Lnd  the  other  substances  in  question.  I  see  no  reason  to  alter 
?he  opbion  expressed  in  my  certiEcate  of  last  T'obruary,  regarding  the 
constitution  of  the  said  coal. 

Respectfully,  ^    SILLIMAN,  Jr. 


FROM  PROFESSOR  B.  SILLIMAN,  Sen.,  OF  YALE  COLLEGE, 

NEW  HAVEN. 

Nev?  Haven,  Conn.,  Oct.  13,  1851. 
I  HAVE  seen  specimens  of  a  shining  black  mineral    with  a  conchoidal 
Jturo  and  briL,lustre,  which  is  said  to  come  from  Hi  sboro  ,   .u 


New  Brunswick.     This  mineral  is, 


in  my  opinion,  bituminous  coal,  of 
^xcelbnt  quality  and  great  pm-ity.  It  takes  fire  when  held  in  the  flamo 
of  a  andli,  and  burns  brilliantly,  with  the  escape  of  much  ^-fe  but 
does  not  run  or  melt,  but  leaves  a  bulky  and  light  coke,  of  a  tender 
qua  ity  rphaltum  or  bitumen,  so  treated,  would  melt  at  a  temperature 
much  below  the  point  of  inflammation,  and  ^xo•M  consume  entirely  when 
burned  havinc  only  a  light  ash  and  no  coke.  The  opinions  of  Dr.  C.  1. 
jrkso;  and  of  Dr.  James  G.  Percival,  as  to  the  geological  relations  and 
pjSo?  this  mineral,  and  the  scientific  ^^^-^  oi  i).o  fo.s.l  v^r^s.ni 
animals  associated  with  it,  as  well,  also,  as  the  opmion  of  A.  A.  Hayes^ 
Esq  reirarding  its  physical  and  chemical  characters,  I  should  regard  as 
entirely  trustwm-thy  and  final-such  opinions  being  based,  m  each  case  on 
a  personal  examination  of  the  locality  and  mineral,  and  an  elaborate 
study  of  the  evidence.  ^    SILLIMAN,  Senior. 


851. 


eport  of 
mpany's 

ible — to 
urainoua 
jitumen. 
that  the 
constant 
asphalt, 
ivincing, 
'  general 
kniity  of 
I  to  alter 
iing  the 


r,  Jr. 


[iLEGE, 


1851. 
anchoidal 
boro',   in 

coal,  of 
the  flamo 
ke,  but  it 

a  tender 
nperature 
rely  when 
Dr.  C.  T. 
itions  and 
)lants  and 
v.  Hayes. 

regard  as 
h  case,  on 

elaborate 


Senior. 


.^^ 


